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