Butter the Size of a Walnut?
We've all, ok, maybe just a few have been there, always on the on the hunt for a new classic old recipe like "Elkhorn Pig's Fatback Christmas Pudding". At last you locate an original copy. Yumpin yimmine! The first ingredient called for is... butter the size of a walnut? Yikes! Here is a list of the more common terms with the modern day equivalents.
Butter the size of an egg= 1/4 cup
Butter the size of a walnut = 2 tablespoons
Coffee cup= 1 cup
Dash=1/8 teaspoon
Dessert spoon = 1 1/2 teaspoons
Dram= 3/4 teaspoon
Drops,60= 3/4 teaspoon of liquid
Gill= 1/2 cup
Lump= 2 tablespoons (butter)
Pinch= 1/8 teaspoon
Pint=2 cups
Often the terms used to measure quantities of beer and ale were used to measure milk and other liquid ingredients
36 gallons = 1 barrel (bar.)
54 gallons = 1 hogshead (hhd.)
Other useful old time weights and measures
12 units = 1 dozen
12 dozen = 1 gross
12 gross = 1 great gross
20 things = 1 score
25 drops = teaspoon
8 tablespoons = 1 gill
1 quart of Indian meal = 1lb 2oz