Reviewed

Reviewed by Leslie Bertsch
Field Specialist in Nutrition and Health

Can you answer the following question?

  • How many cups of grated cheese are in a one-pound block?
  • If a recipe calls for three cups of cooked rice, how many cups of uncooked rice should be prepared?
  • How many cups of nutmeats are in a one-pound package?

These and many more questions can be answered by this handy chart on food yields. Keep it nearby when preparing a meal or making out your shopping list. It's a real time-saver.

Note
The following yields are only approximations, because preparation techniques and the condition of fresh food vary greatly.

Food yields

Apples
  • 1 pound (3 medium) equals 2-3/4 to 3 cups sliced
Bacon
  • 8 slices equals 1/2 cup crumbled
Bananas
  • 1 pound (3 medium) equals 2-1/2 cups sliced or 2 cups mashed
Barley, regular
  • 1 cup, uncooked equals 4 cups cooked
Barley, quick
  • 1 cup, uncooked equals 3 cups cooked
Beans, dry
  • 1 cup, uncooked equals 3 cups cooked
Bread crumbs
  • 1 slice, dry equals 1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbs
  • 1 slice, soft equals 1/2 to 3/4 cup crumbs
Cabbage
  • 1 pound equals 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 cups shredded
Candied fruit or peels
  • 1/2 pound equals 1-1/4 cups cut up
Cheese, American
  • 1 pound equals 4 to 5 cups shredded
Cheese, cheddar
  • 1 pound equals 4 cups shredded
Coconut, flaked or shredded
  • 1 pound equals 5 cups
Chocolate, morsels or chips
  • 6-ounce package equals 1 cup
Chocolate, cocoa
  • 1 pound equals 4 cups
Chocolate, unsweetened
  • 1/2 pound equals 8 (1 ounce each) squares
Coffee
  • 1 pound equals 40 to 50 servings
Cornmeal
  • 1 pound equals 3 cups dry
  • 1 cup uncooked equals 4 cups cooked mush
Crackers, graham
  • 10 crackers equals 1 cup fine crumbs
Crackers, soda
  • 16 crackers equals 1 cup coarse crumbs
  • 22 crackers equals 1 cup fine crumbs
Cranberries, fresh uncooked
  • 1 pound equals 4 cups
Cream, heavy whipping
  • 1 cup (1/2 pint) equals 2 cups whipped
Dates, pitted and cut up
  • 1 pound equals 2-1/2 cups
Fat, butter or margarine, solid
  • 1 pound (4 sticks) equals 2 cups
  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) equals 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons
Fat, butter, whipped
  • 1 pound equals 3 cups
Fat, oils
  • 1 quart equals 4 cups
Fat, shortening
  • 1 pound equals 2-1/2 cups
Figs, dried and cut fine
  • 1 pound equals 2-2/3 cups
Flour, corn
  • 2 pounds equal 8 cups
Flour, gluten, sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 6-1/2 cups
Flour, rice, sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 7 cups
Flour, rice, stirred, spooned
  • 2 pounds equal 5-3/4 cups
Flour, rye, light, sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 10 cups
Flour, rye, dark, sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 7 cups
Flour, soy, full-fat, sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 15 cups
Flour, soy, low-fat
  • 2 pounds equal 11 cups
Flour, wheat, all-purpose
  • 5 pounds equal 20 cups
  • 2 pounds equal 8 cups
Flour, wheat, unsifted, spooned
  • 2 pounds equal 7 cups
Flour, wheat, bread, sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 8 cups
Flour, wheat, cake sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 9-1/4 cups
Flour, cake, spooned
  • 2 pounds equal 8-1/4 cups
Flour, pastry, sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 9 cups
Flour self-rising, sifted
  • 2 pounds equal 8 cups
Flour, whole-wheat, stirred
  • 2 pounds equal 6-2/3 cups
Marshmallows, regular size
  • 1 pounds equals 8 cups
  • 1 pound equals 64 regular marshmallows
  • 8 regular marshmallows equal 1 cup
  • 1 regular marshmallow equals 13 miniatures marshmallows
Marshmallows, miniature
  • 1 pound equals 8 cups
  • 13 miniatures marshmallows equal 1 regular marshmallow
Nuts, almonds, in shell
  • 1 pound equals 1 to 1-3/4 cups nutmeats
Nuts, almonds, shelled
  • 1 pound equals 3 cups blanched whole
Nuts, English walnuts, in shell
  • 1 pound 1-2/3 cups halves
Nuts, English walnuts shelled
  • 1 pound equals 4-1/2 cups halves or 3-2/3 cups chopped
Nuts, filberts, in shell
  • 1 pound equals 1-1/2 cups nutmeats
Nuts, filberts, shelled
  • 1 pound, equals 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups nutmeats
Nuts, peanuts, in shell
  • 1 pound equals 2 to 2-1/4 cups nutmeats
Nuts, peanuts, shelled
  • 1 pound equals 3 to 3-1/4 cups nutmeats
Nuts, pecans, in shell
  • 1 pound equals 2-1/4 cups nutmeats
Nuts, pecans, shelled
  • 1 pound equals 4 to 4-1/2 cups halves or 3 to 3-3/4 cups chopped
Oats, rolled
  • 1 cup uncooked equals 1-3/4 cups cooked
  • 1 ounce uncooked equals 1/3 cup uncooked
Onion
  • 1 small equals 1/4 cup chopped
  • 1 medium equals 1/2 cup chopped
  • 1 large equals 1 cup chopped
Pasta, macaroni
  • 1 pound equals 4 cups, uncooked
  • 1 cup uncooked equals 2 to 2-1/4 cups cooked
Pasta, noodles
  • 1 cup uncooked equals 1-3/4 cups cooked
Pasta, spaghetti, 2-inch pieces
  • 1 pound equals 4-3/4 cups uncooked or 9 to 10 cups cooked
Popcorn
  • 1/4 cup kernels equals 8 cups popcorn
  • 1/3 cup kernels equals 12 cups popcorn
Potatoes, white
  • 1 pound (3 medium) equals 1-1/2 to 2-1/4 cups cooked, diced or sliced or 1-3/4 to 2 cups mashed
Prunes, dried, whole and pitted
  • 1 pound equals 2-1/4 cups
Raisins
  • 15-ounce package equals 3 cups
  • 1 pound equals 3-1/4 cups
Rice, regular
  • 1 cup uncooked equals 3 cups cooked
Rice, minute
  • 3/4 cup uncooked equals 1-1/3 cups cooked
Shrimp, fresh
  • 3/4 pound raw in shell equals 1 cup cooked and cleaned
  • 7-ounce package, frozen peeled, cooked equals 1 cup cooked and cleaned
  • 4-1/2- or 5-ounce can equals 1 cup cooked and cleaned
Sugar, brown
  • 1 pound equals 2-1/4 cups firmly packed
Sugar, confectioners' unsifted
  • 1 pound equals 3 to 4 cups
Sugar, granulated
  • 1 pound equals 2-1/4 cups
  • 5 pounds equal 11-1/4 cups
Tea, loose
  • 1 pound equals 200 cups
Tomatoes
  • 1 pound (3 medium) equal 1-1/2 cups chopped or 3/4 cup sliced
Zucchini
  • 1 medium (5 to 6 ounces) equals 1 cup loosely packed, grated

Hints

  • One tablespoon of unflavored gelatin gels about two cups of liquid
  • For accurate measuring, use standard measuring spoons and cups. Household cups and spoons often hold more or less than the standard measure. Recipe failures are often caused by measuring ingredients in nonstandard containers.
  • If brown or powdered sugar is lumpy, press it through a sieve before adding to your product.
  • For ease in measuring honey, measure shortening or oil first. Then measure honey in the same cup — every drop will slip right out.
  • All measurements should be level. For dry ingredients, use a cup with a measure flush with the rim. Spoon in dry ingredients and level with a knife or spatula. Don't shake down or hit the cup because dry ingredients will pack down.
  • Sifting salt, leavening and spices with the flour ensures even distribution.
  • Whole wheat flour cannot be sifted. Instead, it should be stirred before measuring.
  • Fresh cranberries can easily be chopped in a blender if they are frozen first.

References

  • Rombauer, I.S. and M. Rombauer Becker. Joy of Cooking. New York: The New American Library, 1964
  • American Home Economics Association's Handbook of Food Preparation, eighth edition.
  • Indiana Cooperative Extension Service, Purdue University: Substitutions and Equivalents In Food Ingredients.
  • North Dakota Cooperative Extension Service: Ingredient Substitutions.

Original authors:
Barbara Willenberg
Karla Hughes