Because “medium” is not a standard; it is an impression. A vegetable’s size varies greatly by variety, season, and growing location; even two onions side by side in a grocery store do not necessarily weigh the same. For eggs, this problem has been solved with an official size classification; vegetables have no such classification.
Vegetable quantities in recipes are almost always written by count, with a size adjective added: one medium onion, two small potatoes, one large carrot. This is practical and useful in the kitchen, but it is not a measurement. The word “medium” does not say what it is in the middle of; it means the middle size among the onions the recipe writer saw at the grocery store. The same word corresponds to a different weight in another kitchen, and the two kitchens are unaware of each other. That is why the amount of onion quietly differs when the same recipe is made in two kitchens.
A vegetable’s size depends on 3 things simultaneously. Variety matters: a large dry onion is not the same as a large green onion, and they are not interchangeable in the same recipe. Season matters: an early-harvest vegetable is small and watery, while later-harvested vegetables are large and dense. Growing method also plays a role. Together, these three factors can create many times the difference between two vegetables with the same name, and grocery stores have no label to distinguish them. The same uncertainty affects the amount of juice in a lemon and the pungency of garlic.
The same problem used to exist with eggs, and it has been solved there. Eggs are classified by their weight in the shell, and the package states their size; when a recipe calls for three eggs, the reader knows what is meant. Vegetables have no such classification, nor should one be expected, because a vegetable is more a product of the field than a standardized product. For that reason, uncertainty about vegetables is resolved in a different way from eggs: by the person measuring and keeping their own record. So the solution for vegetables comes not from a standard but from the measurer’s own records.
The method is simple and is done once. When preparing a recipe initially, weigh ingredients given by count before chopping and write the resulting weight in the margin of the recipe. From that point on, read the recipe in grams instead of by count, and next time there will be no debate about which size vegetable to buy. Keep the same record for garlic, lemons, and potatoes. Over time, you build a small reference list in the kitchen, and recipes move from guesswork to measurement. Keeping records also makes it clear which size to buy when shopping.
For someone writing their own recipe, the rule is two lines. Give vegetable quantities both by count and in grams: the count tells the reader what to buy at the store, and the grams tell them what to weigh in the kitchen. For recipes where the amount is critical, grams alone are enough. Also state whether the quantity is measured before or after chopping, because when chopped vegetables are measured by volume, the gaps between pieces are included and the two measurements will not match. When the 2 measurements are provided together, readers can choose which to use.
A Note for Readers
This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult your doctor before making any decision about your health.
Comments (3)
Orta boy diye yazılan soğanların bende hep iri çıktığını ve yemeklerin soğan tadına kaçtığını fark ediyordum. Bir tarifte üç orta boy soğan yazıyordu, benimkiler yarım kilo geldi. Artık tarifi okurken soğanı tartıp yüz elli gram civarını bir orta boy sayıyorum.
Gramla yazılan tarifler daha çok olsa keşke, adet ölçüsü sebzede gerçekten anlamsız.
Yumurtada da aynı sorun var, bir yumurta dediği şey kırk gram da olabiliyor altmış beş gram da.