Taking the Measure of Whole Spices
We gathered our scales and measuring cups to sort out the weight and volume equivalencies of some the most common ingredients.
Kitchen Counts
At Milk Street, whenever possible, we prefer to buy whole spices rather than ground spices. Oxidation can cause store-bought ground spices to lose flavor quickly and can also contribute stale, off flavors to a dish. Whole spices stay fresh longer and pack more flavor, whether used whole or ground as needed. And they can remain fresh stored in a cabinet for up to two years (ground spices last about six months, at most).
The only trouble is knowing how much to pulverize when a recipe calls for ground. We hate to be wasteful and grind too much, and few recipes do the conversion for us. So we decided to take the mystery out of this kitchen quandary and suss out equivalencies for 15 whole and ground spices. Some spices yielded larger volumes when ground because of aeration that occurs during grinding.
Spice Equivalencies
4½ tsp.
Spice Whole / Ground Allspice berries1 tbsp. / 3¼ tsp Aniseed 1 tbsp. / 1 tbsp. Caraway seeds1 tbsp. / 1 tbsp.Cloves1 tbsp. / 1 tbsp.
Coriander seeds1 tbsp. / 2¾ tsp.Cumin seeds1 tbsp. / 4½ tsp.Fennel seeds1 tbsp. / 2¾ tsp.
Juniper berries1 tbsp. / 3¼ tsp.Mustard seeds1 tbsp. / 5½ tsp.Nutmeg (grated)1 piece / 6¾ tsp.Black peppercorns1 tbsp. / 3½ tsp.Sichuan peppercorns1 tbsp. / 2¾ tsp.White peppercorns1 tbsp. / 4 tsp.
PRODUCE
Ingredient Weight / Volume 1 large yellow onion, peeled (About 3 cups chopped)13 ounces / 368 grams 1 large shallot, peeled (½ cup chopped) 2½ ounces / 71 grams 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves ⅝ ounce / 18 grams1 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves 1⅛ ounces / 32 grams ½ cup fresh dill fronds, lightly packed ¼ ounce / 7 grams½ cup chopped fresh dill ½ ounce / 14 grams1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves⅒ ounce / 3 grams
DAIRY
IngredientWeight / Volume16-ounce tub sour cream454 grams / 2 cups 5.3-ounce container Greek yogurt 150 grams / ⅔ cup 5.3-ounce container regular yogurt 150 grams / ⅔ cup8-ounce container crème fraiche 227 grams / 1 cup 1 pint heavy cream (16 fluid ounces) 454 grams / 2 cups1 pint half and half (16 fluid ounces) 454 grams / 2 cups
½ gallon whole milk (64 fluid ounces)1,814 grams / 8 cups
