How to divide a preparation evenly
It often happens in cooking: one makes a cream for 6 people in a saucepan, then the recipe says "divide the cream evenly between the glasses", which usually gets done by eye with varying degrees of success.
To divide out the preparation more precisely, here's a simple tip just using weighing scales.
To divide out the preparation more precisely, here's a simple tip just using weighing scales.
57 K 4.4/5 (18 reviews)
20 min.
Easy
Last modified on: June 3rd 2011
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 20 min.
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: 19:15.Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 2 min.
Before you start cooking, weigh and make a note of the weight of the empty pan you are going to use. For instance, the pan you see in the photo weighs 552 g.
Stage 2 - 2 min.
Then make the preparation as usual, and when it is finished, weigh the pan again full.
For example, the pan full of custard you see in the photo: 948 g.
Then calculate the weight of preparation you have made: 948 - 522 = 426 g.
For example, the pan full of custard you see in the photo: 948 g.
Then calculate the weight of preparation you have made: 948 - 522 = 426 g.
Stage 3 - 2 min.
If you need to divide this between 6 glasses, you will need 426 g /6 = 71 g, rounded down to 70 g per glass.
Place a glass on the scales, reset to 0 g, and pour in enough cream to add 70 g.
Place a glass on the scales, reset to 0 g, and pour in enough cream to add 70 g.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Do this for all 6 glasses, and you will enjoy the satisfaction of scraping round the pan with a maryse or spatula to arrive exactly at the 70 g needed for the final glass!
Remarks
This is particularly useful if you need to divide out two different preparations evenly, like for coconut-vanilla cream for Elsa for example.
Don't hesitate to take 5 minutes of your time, to weight and make a note of all your pans. It will be very useful one day.
Don't hesitate to take 5 minutes of your time, to weight and make a note of all your pans. It will be very useful one day.
Source: Home made.
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