Class NameInstructor NameDate, Semester

Foundations of Cost ControlDaniel Traster

Unit and Recipe Conversions

chapter 3

Opening Questions

What is the difference between weight and volume?

Are they interchangeable?

Which tools measure weight and which measure volume?

2

Water Universal

Because of this constant, you can convert between volume and weight on paper in

intermediate steps as long as you return to the original type of measure (weight vs.

volume) at the end.

Water is interchangeable at

1 pt = 1 # or 1 c = 8 oz

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Table 3.1

• Review table 3.1

• Which measures are American/British?

• Which are metric?

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Table 3.2 and Figure 3.1

• These facts must be memorized in order to convert units

• Practice daily until they become second nature

• You cannot convert units without them!

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Three Methods to Convert Units

• You only have to learn one

• Choose the one that makes the most sense to you

Unit SizeOperation Technique

DimensionalAnalysis

Left/RightOperationTechnique

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Unit Size-Operation Technique

Going from a larger size unit to a smaller one, multiply the number (to get more of those tiny units)

Going from a smaller size unit to a larger one, divide (to get fewer of the big units)

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Example 3a

Pounds (big) to ounces (small)

Unit down, number up = multiply

Ratio is 16 oz = 1#, so multiply by 16

2.25 # X 16 = 32 oz

How many ounces are in 2 ¼ pounds?

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Example 3b

Cups (small) to gallons (big)

Unit up, number down = divide

Ratio is 16 c = 1 Gal

8 c ÷ 16 = ½ Gal

8 cups equals how many gallons?

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Example 3c (requires intermediate steps)

1 Kg = 2.2 #, 1 pt = 1#, 1 Gal = 8 pt

2 Gal (big) to pt (small) = multiply

2 Gal X 8 = 16 pt

1 pt = 1 #, so 16 pt = 16 #

16 # (small) to Kg (big) = divide

16 # ÷ 2.2 = 7.27 Kg

How many Kg of water are in 2 Gal?

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Left/Right-Operation Technique

*Units with a “/” are equal to each other

g/mL tsp Tbspoz c pt/#qt L/Kg GalMemorize in order

Small

Large

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Left/Right-Operation Technique

g/mL tsp Tbspoz c pt/#qt L/Kg Gal

Small

Large

Moving to the right (small to large) = divide

Moving to the left (large to small) = multiply

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Example 3d

Going from L to mL, move left to right = multiply

1 L = 1000 mL

0.75L X 1000 = 750 mL

How many mL are in ¾ L?

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Example 3e

Going cups to quarts you move left to right = divide

1 qt = 4 c

17 c ÷ 4 = 4.25 or 4 ¼ qt

How many quarts are in 17 cups?

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Example 3f(requires intermediate step)

1000 mL = 1 L and 1 L = 33.8 oz

Move oz to L (left to right) = divide

16 oz ÷ 33.8 = 0.47337 L

(don’t round on an intermediate step)

Move L to mL (right to left) = multiply

0.47337 X 1000 = 473.37 or 473.4 mL

How many mL are in a 16 oz bottle of water?

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Dimensional Analysis

1. Write the ratios as fractions

2. Orient the fractions to the units cancel (each denominator’s unit is the same as the preceding numerator’s unit)

3. Multiply the fractions

4. Any units not canceled out remain in the answer in their same position (numerator or denominator)

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Example 3g

How many L does 2 ¾ pt represent?

   

To compute, enter the starting number in a calculator. Then multiply by the numerators

and divide by the denominators.

2.75 pt X X =

L = 33.8 oz and 1 pt = 16 oz

1.302 L or 1.3 L

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Example 3h

1 Gal = 16 c

How many cups are there in 2.35 gallons?

 2.35 Gal X = 37.6 c

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Why are Recipes Converted?

• Chef may have a recipe using metric (or British) units but the kitchen tools only measure in the other system’s units

• Chef has converted a recipe’s yield, and it is more practical to measure the ingredients in different units

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How to Adjust a Recipe’s Yield

Calculate a conversion factor (CF)

STEP 1: You must know the original (old) yield and the desired (new) yield for the recipe.

 =CF

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Example 3i

0.266 or 0.27

What is the conversion factor to change a recipe yielding 75 portions to one yielding 20 portions?

 =CF  

= =

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Conversion Factor

If the portion size of the recipe changes, you must calculate the total weight (or volume) of each recipe’s yield before using the conversion factor formula.

Total Yield = total portions X portion size

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Example 3j

Old Yield = portions X size = 4 X 1 # = 4 #

New = 110 X 2 oz = 220 oz

Calculate CF to convert a recipe yielding 4 one-pound loaves of bread to one yielding 110 two-ounce rolls.

Convert # to oz before proceeding4 # X 16 = 64 oz

The units don’t match!!!

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Example 3j (cont.)

The formula only works if the units for

new and old yield match.

3.4375 or 3.44 =CF  

= =

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How to Adjust a Recipe’s Yield

New Ingredient Quantity = Old Ing. Q X CF

The biggest challenge is converting the unit to make the new ingredient quantity

measurements practical in the real world.

STEP 2: Multiply the conversion factor times each ingredient in the recipe to get a recipe that will produce the new yield.

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Example 3k

Chicken PiccataYield = 100 portions

 

Chicken breast, boneless, 4 oz, pounded flat 100 ea

Flour, all-purpose 2 ¼ #

Butter 3 #

Lemon juice 1 qt

Chicken stock 2 ½ qt

Capers, drained, 28 oz jar 1 jar

Parsley, chopped fine 1 ½ c

Convert the following recipe to serve 12 portions.

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Example 3k (cont.)

Multiply 0.12 X each ingredient’s quantity

0.12 CF  = ==

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Example 3k

Chicken Piccata Yield = 12 portions

Item Old CF New (Old X

CF)

Unit Ratio Units Adjusted and Rounded

Chix breast 100 ea 0.12 12 N/A 12 ea

Flour 2.25 # 0.12 0.27 # 1 # = 16 oz 4.32 or 4 ¼ oz

Butter 3 # 0.12 0.36 # 1 # = 16 oz 5.76 or ¾ oz

Lemon juice

1 qt 0.12 0.12 qt 1 qt = 4 c OR 1 qt = 32 oz

0.48 or ½ cOR 3.84 or 4 oz

Chix Stock 2.5 qt 0.12 0.27 qt 1 qt = 4 cOR 1 qt = 32 oz

1.08 or 1 cOR 8.64 or 8.5 oz

Capers 28 oz jar

1 jar 0.12 0.12 jar 1 jar = 28 oz 3.36 or 3.5 oz

Parsley, chopped

1.5 c 0.12 0.18 c 1 c = 16 Tbsp 2.88 or 3 Tbsp

Notes on 3k Solution

• No unit conversion for “each.”

• Rounding depends on measurement tools available.

• Lemon juice and stock convert to oz only because they are mostly water.

• Non-standard ratios (1 jar = 28 oz) are learned from labels or a kitchen test.

• Choice of unit and how much to round can impact precision of the measurement.

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