The Size of Vegetables

Yorky

Yorky

RIP 21/01/2024
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Another thread started me thinking of this.

Many recipes that I've come across in books and on the net tend to be very specific about how much meat/seafood should be included by weight but then specify a large or a medium onion, a small cauliflower, a medium potato, etc. (I do it myself!).

In respect of onions, a small onion for me would be a little larger than a shallot and a medium one that would comfortably sit in one of my hands. When considering a large onion I always tend to think of a Spanish onion which could be the size of a pomelo!

For me a small cauliflower would the size that both my hands could just envelope before trimming. A large one maybe 300 mm or more across.

Potatoes? I've just quoted my opinion elsewhere - small = around 125 gm; medium = around 200 gm.

Garlic is another anomaly when it comes to the size of the cloves. A head of garlic where I live is around 40 mm diameter and typically contains 8 cloves. Elsewhere I've seen heads far larger than that with a similar number of cloves.

As I rarely follow recipes religiously (except for my own) I don't have a problem; I just wondered what others thought.
 
garlic size.jpg
 
These are what I consider to be a medium onion and potato:

potato-onion size.jpg
 
I rarely adhere to recipes so that's why I tend to rely on cookbooks that have pictures.
I can't eat onion anymore so that changes what I can add.
 
I saw this in a recipe today:

2 large cloves garlic

I have no idea.
 
I often put that in recipes myself :ohmy:. The point, I think, is that it really isn't going to ruin a dish if the cloves are a bit smaller or bigger than the ones I have used. So many people will reduce or add more anyway, if they cook the recipe because they either like or don't like garlic. The only case where it could matter might be in a salad dressing or sauce where the balance of tastes could be 'skewed'.

I sometimes say instead of cloves, 1 tbsp minced garlic. But frankly, how many people are going to mince garllc and carefully measure a tbsp?
 
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morning glory said:
But frankly, how many people are going to mince garllc and carefully measure a tbsp?
Click to expand...

I puree and freeze garlic (and also ginger) quite a lot so I tend to use teaspoons to measure it (although not "carefully"). There are times when I forget to defrost the garlic so we always have a few heads available.

There is a recipe site that I use which always "complains" if you enter ingredients without stipulating quantities; even salt and pepper!
 
I have only started finely grating ginger and freezing it since I came to Australia because quite frankly the ginger here is disappointing and when I find a good piece I buy it. Garlic on the other hand here is much better so i just keep it fresh in the pantry and not worry about it.

Vegetables and their sizes are an interesting one.
1 large carrot. Yeah right. I can see the value of American recipes that day 1\2 cup chopped carrots but then how small are you chopping them to fill that cup? So again it is not a good guide plus I hate waste as you all know so leaving half a carrot or worse still something that will perish very quickly once cut into like an aubergine is just not going to happen.

It's a guide. It's guess work. And all you can do is use the servings guide as an indication. Plus with things like cauliflower there are so few calories in it that it is hardly going to have much of an impact on a recipe unless you are cooking the entire head at once (which I have done).

There are some things that I just don't weigh out. Vegetables and fresh ginger or garlic are some of them.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I have only started finely grating ginger and freezing it since I came to Australia because quite frankly the ginger here is disappointing and when I find a good piece I buy it. Garlic on the other hand here is much better so i just keep it fresh in the pantry and not worry about it.

Vegetables and their sizes are an interesting one.
1 large carrot. Yeah right. I can see the value of American recipes that day 1\2 cup chopped carrots but then how small are you chopping them to fill that cup? So again it is not a good guide plus I hate waste as you all know so leaving half a carrot or worse still something that will perish very quickly once cut into like an aubergine is just not going to happen.

It's a guide. It's guess work. And all you can do is use the servings guide as an indication. Plus with things like cauliflower there are so few calories in it that it is hardly going to have much of an impact on a recipe unless you are cooking the entire head at once (which I have done).

There are some things that I just don't weigh out. Vegetables and fresh ginger or garlic are some of them.
Click to expand...
1/2 cup of carrots is at least one carrot. It depends on how big the carrot is.
Oh and on how small to cut them depends on the size of the measuring cup.
 
Cinisajoy said:
1/2 cup of carrots is at least one carrot. It depends on how big the carrot is.
Oh and on how small to cut them depends on the size of the measuring cup.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I probably didn't make myself clear. 1 cup of chopped carrots could easily be say 2 carrots or 4 depending on if the chop size is large or small. If my OH was doing it, then chopped carrots could easily be 1cm or more long and a large carrot just quartered length ways. He likes large mouthfuls and bites. Something (like the avocado chocolate chip cookie/scones I made) that take me 3 or 4 bites/mouthfuls, he will eat in 1. If it was me cutting it up, then it would be much smaller and so I would use many more carrots, so I prefer a recipe to say 3 large carrots (and large is not something UK supermarkets are good at doing in the way of carrots - I prefer them from greengrocers but we won't go there). It is the same with potatoes. If fact potatoes are the only thing we agree on, they should be chunky when made into chips (UK chips that is). I don't like the think floppy things that are mostly grease.

Anyhow - I have some sunblinds to make so I have to go and do it whilst he is not here and I have the space.
 
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