A New York Times business article highlighted one of my growing concerns today. The article addresses the increasing cost of packaged foods while the packages are actually shrinking in size.
I’ve answered several correspondences from home cooks who are increasingly failing with old family recipes and time tested recipes from cook books which they relied upon.
If you are using recipes from old cookbooks or recipes handed down through your family, be aware of the changing package sizes. What used to be a 16 ounce can of chicken stock is now anywhere from 13.25 ounces to 15 ounces depending on the brand you buy.
That box of pasta you thought was a pound (16 ounces) now weighs less, sometimes as low as 13 ounces!
As you read your recipes, my advice is to recognize that you should now measure your ingredients in a measuring cup or weigh them on a kitchen scale to achieve the same results you are accustomed to with your old tried and true recipes.
Of course, this is yet another reason that whole foods are a better bargain nutritionally, economically and for successful results with any recipe.
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Comments: 31
Good advice, Donna
On the other hand, I love shopping in farmers market and don't mind paying a little bit more for the freshest food....I'm usually the one loaded down with canvas bags full of stuff when I visit the farmers markets.... ;-)
You are quire right, the numbers we used to have in our heads are no longer correct. Everything needs measuring. One need only look at a pound of coffee (13.5 oz) to see where this is going.
Yep, measure, weigh, but don't ever open a can and dump it into a recipe thinking the amount is correct! I keep stressing to folks to actually spend the few seconds doing the math to discern which product is actually best by price since not every package contains the same amount (i.e. sugar, coffee, flour).
Good advice Madame!
When I buy processed food - oil, whole grain pasta, flour, tofu, soy milk... (and that's about it, lol!) I buy organic. No junk in it. Everything else is stuff like fruits and vegetables, bought fresh...or whole grains like millet or rice...
Thanks for posting to Cook it up Big!
It has been several years since Andy Rooney firsrt brought the issue up in 60 Minutes. he complained abut coffee cans and sugar bags, but not even he coul slow the trend.