Here is a list of terms definitions and measurements used in old cookbooks. These are very helpful when trying to follow old recipes.
Oven temperatures
Slow = up to 300 F
Very moderate = 300 F – 350 F
Moderate/Medium = 350 F – 400 F
Hot/Quick/Fast = 400 F – 450 F
Very Hot/Very Quick = 450 F – 500 F
Baking times
Cookies: bake until just golden
Cakes: bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick or butter knife inserted in center comes out clean
Bread: bake until bread pulls away from sides of pan, or when tapped you hear a hollow sound
Custards: bake until just set
Single crust filled pies: hot oven (425-450 F) for 1st ten minutes to crisp the crust, lower to moderate (350 F) to finish
Unfilled pie shell: bake at 425 F for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned
Unfilled tart shell: bake at 425 F for 12 minutes
1 pound yields
• 4 cups sifted flour
• 4 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 3 1/2 cups graham flour
• 3 cups cornmeal
• 5 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/3 cups molasses or honey
• 2 cups milk
• 4 cups nut meats, chopped
• 3 cups dried fruit
Liquid Measurements
• pint = 2 cups
• quart = 4 cups
• gill = 4 ounces (1/4 pound, metric = 5 ounces as a metric pound is 20 ounces)
• peck = 8 quarts
• bushel = 4 pecks
Bushel weights
• 60 pounds apples = 1 bushel
• 52 pounds beans = 1 bushel
• 24 pounds beets = 1 bushel
• 56 pounds carrots = 1 bushel
• 55 pounds flour = 1 bushel
• 54 pounds onions = 1 bushel
• 45 pounds parsnips = 1 bushel
• 50 pounds potatoes = 1 bushel
• 60 pounds string beans = 1 bushel
• 60 pounds sweet potatoes = 1 bushel
• 48 pounds tomatoes = 1 bushel
• 196 pounds turnips = 1 barrel
Definitions
• Addled – spoiled or rotten
• Anker = 10 gallons
• Bee Sweetin’ – honey
• Boil to a height – boiling point of candy or crystallizing
• Butt = 126 gallons
• Butter Size of an Egg – ¼ cup or 2 oz
• Butter Size of a Walnut – 2 tbsp
• Cake compressed yeast = 1 package active dry yeast
• Cauled – heated just below boiling point
• Clinkers – stale biscuits
• Coffee Spoons, Two – 1 tsp
• Coffee cupful – 1 cup or 8 oz
• Coffin – dish or mould in which a pie was baked in
• Coomb = 4 bushels
• Cornmeal, 3 cups scant – 1 lb
• Dash – 1/16 tsp
• Dessert spoon – 1 ½ tsp
• Dram – 1/8 oz or 3 scruples
• Drop – 1/60 tsp
• Eggs – med eggs
• Eggs, ten w/o shells – 1 lb eggs
• Fat = means butter
• Few grains – less than 1/8 tsp
• Five-cent jar – 8 – 12 oz jar
• Firkin = 9 gallons
• French Vinegar – usually tarragon vinegar
• Frizzle – cooking an item in butter or fat until it curls or crisps
• Gem – muffin or cupcake
• Gill – ½ cup or 4 oz
• Glassful – ¼ cup or 2 oz
• Handful – approx 1 oz
• Hint – a trace
• Hogshead = 63 gallons
• Hot closet – warming oven
• Indian meal – cornmeal
• Jar – 3 oz
• Jigger – 1.5 oz
• Kitchen spoon – 1 tsp
• Lard = use shortening
• Large rounded scoop in palm of the hand – 1 tbsp
• Last = 80 bushels
• Lump – approx 2 tbsp (refers to butter)
• Nun’s toast -French toast
• Pinch – 1/16 tsp
• Pottle = 2 quarts
• Potage – soup
• Pound of eggs – approx 1 doz med eggs
• Puncheon = 84 gallons
• Quick oven – approx 375 – 400 degrees F
• Runlet = 18 gallons
• Salt spoonful – approx ¼ tsp
• Saucer – approx 9 oz (heaping cup)
• Small rounded scoop in palm of the hand – 1 tsp
• Smidgen – 1/32 tsp
• Sour milk = buttermilk OR 1 tablespoon vinegar added to 1 cup whole milk
• Sweet milk = milk (whole is best for baking, but 2%, 1% and skim can be used successfully)
• Tad -1/8 tsp
• Tea-cupful – a scant ¾ cup (scant, meaning less than)
• Tumbler – 1 cup or 8 oz
• Tierce = 42 gallons
• Try, try out – render fat
• Wey = 40 bushels
• Wineglassful – approx ¼ cup or 2 oz
Thank You very much. Found an old cookbook of my Great Aunts measurement are very helpful!