In an Irish Home

I love being in our kitchen.  It’s the command central of our home.  It’s where we entertain (despite the fact we have a beautiful dining room). When friends call-in, it’s the kitchen we instinctively head to for a cuppa and a chat. From our kitchen we can see a good bit of our back garden and the organic kitchen garden and the rose garden.  I can see our drying line out the window over the sink.  On warm days it’s comforting to see freshly laundered clothes gently blowing in the breeze.  Yes, our kitchen is a good place.

If there’s one thing that frustrates me about our kitchen, however, it’s having to do conversions.  By that I mean having to “convert” or” go back and forth” between American and Irish measurements and ingredients.  Depending on whether it’s an American recipe or an Irish one, I find myself sometimes having to whip out a book (or two) until I can find out how to convert or substitute one thing to or for another.  Take, for example, butter.  The American phrase “one stick” just doesn’t work in an Irish kitchen because “one stick” of Irish butter is larger than an American one.  Another example is “caster sugar“.  If you’re an American-in-the-kitchen, “caster sugar” means nothing (b.t.w., it’s “granulated sugar”).

After years of frustration, I finally created my own Conversion Chart which I am happy to share with you.  In our home it is taped to the inside of one of the kitchen cupboards for quick reference.  Hopefully you’ll find it helpful too.

Irish to American Conversions  

1 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon = 1 tablespoon

100g/4oz/8 tablespoons butter = 1 U.S. stick butter

15g butter = 1 tablespoon butter

225 ml/8oz = 1 cup liquid measure

1/2 pint = 1 cup liquid measure

110ml/4oz = 1/2 cup liquid measure

1 pint = 2 cups liquid measure

56ml/2oz = 1/4 cup liquid measure or 4 tablespoons

225g/8oz sugar = 1 U.S. cup

115g/4oz flour = 1 U.S. cup

Oven Temperature Conversions

¼ gas mark = 110°c = 225°f

½ gas mark = 130°c = 250°f

1 gas mark = 140°c = 275°f

2 gas mark = 150°c = 300°f

3 gas mark = 170°c = 325°f

4 gas mark = 180°c = 350°f

5 gas mark = 190°c = 375°f

6 gas mark = 200°c = 400°f

7 gas mark = 220°c = 425°f

8 gas mark = 230°c = 450°f

9 gas mark = 240°c = 475°f

10 gas mark = 250°c = 500°f

Irish to American Substitutions

aubergine = eggplant

beetroot = beet

bicarbonate of soda = baking soda

coriander = cilantro

cornflour = cornstarch

courgette = zucchini

cling film = Saran wrap (plastic wrap)

caster sugar = granulated sugar, confectioners sugar

demerara sugar = light brown sugar

double cream = heavy cream

icing sugar = powdered sugar

mangetout = snow pea

muscovado sugar = dark brown sugar

plain flour = all-purpose flour

rocket = arugula

single cream = light cream

spring onions = scallions

strong white flour = unbleached flour

treacle = molasses

wholemeal flour = wholewheat flour