bearisgray

Old church and organization recipes are "the best" for these -

Season to taste

Bake in a hot oven until done

Use a large bowl

Use Grandma's bread bowl


Granted - there are a lot of recipes that do not need specific amounts of ingredients and are very forgiving - and it takes a while to learn where one needs to "do it like the recipe says" and the recipe is "just a guideline"

Peckish

How about the ones that say "one package of". We all know shrinkflation has happened. When I see recipes that call for a box of this or a package of that, I always wonder if I'm adding the correct amount.

QuiltE

Peckish, How True!! ... or what about where there is both large/small packages/cans/jars? in the past? or even now?

The one that really gets me puzzled with the old recipes is ...
add 25 cents worth of cinnamon
At least, I think that it's cinnamon that I've seen this with. But I have no concept as to what 25 cents worth would have been at the time. So I just kind of wing it, according to what I use in similar recipes today. Lucky for me, I can never too much cinnamon!

As for the bowl sizes, that BearIsGray mentioned ...
Ha! I write my recipes that way now, so that I know which bowl fits what!! Nothing worse than starting with one, and discovering it is too small and have to switch over. Never want more dishes to wash than necessary!

Lately I have been making vinaigrettes. The recipes are not huge batches, but when I make them, I like to fill a jar/bottle. So my one recipe now includes, double recipe for 1/2 pint jar but make separately for immersion blender ... and another, triple recipe for syrup bottle! etc.

bearisgray

That definitely is an issue now! Way back when there was only one size package of Jello and it was the with sugar version.
most packages were a full pound or full quart of whatever.

Like quiltE, i have started adding personal notes to recipes I use often.

QuiltE

Whoooaaa .... are you saying you can get two sizes of Jello in the Good Ol' USA?
Haven't seen the large ones here in almost foreverrrrr!!!!!
And yes, I still use some of my Mom's recipes that call for the large Jello pkgs.

b.zang

Add to that the difference in packaging from one country to another. I can never seem to remember how much a "stick" of butter measures out to. And I live in Canada but have bought a food scale so I can measure ounces or grams for recipes that seem to need precision and come from other countries. It seems packaging in the USA provides larger portions than in Canada so I either go scant or get two packages and go rich. LOL.

QuiltE

Canadian here, too, B.Zang .... Maybe this can help you? I keep the visualization in my mind that four sticks are packaged in a box that looks like a pound of butter. Which really it is when together!

So from there I can convert.
IOW ... one stick is 1/4 pound
... one lb is two cups ... so a 1/4 of that means 1/2 cup per stick
And so on!!

GingerK

With my grandmother's hand written 'tea cup' of this and hand full of that recipes, I have learned to use a scale. Whenever possible, I add the actual weight amounts to those old recipes (some have multiple crossed out or corrected weights as an attempt comes close to memory or fails utterly.

I have never been able to recreate Grandma's Long Johns or chocolate jelly roll. And thankfully, her recipe for 'Glumz' has mostly disintegrated!

I do prefer recipes that have weight amounts instead of measurements. Much more accurate.

bearisgray

Then there is the matter of pounds and ounces versus kilograms and grams.

Stitchnripper

I have recently started using a method vs exact ingredients. Add what we like and omit what we don't. For anything but baking this seems to work. I can make lots of the same things with different "flavorings" meaning spices and herbs and get a different yummy result. I don't use many packaged foods so while I am aware of the size changes for the most part doesn't affect my cooking.