What the Hell Is a “middle” Bow?
Measuring everything accurately can be a big challenge when you start cooking, which is why novice cooks may find it averse to recipes that include indeterminate amounts, such as “a pinch of salt” or “one medium onion.” Although the pinch is pretty much standardized — generally thought to be 1/8 teaspoon — the “medium” onion is a little more complex.
Part of The Grown Up Kitchen series , Skillet is designed to answer your most basic cooking questions and fill in any gaps that may be missing from your home chef education.
The good news is this: it’s okay if you’re not quite accurate with the bow. Unlike the ingredients used in baked goods, no culinary chemical reactions depend on how much onion you use. However, it’s good to have guidelines, especially when you’re just starting out, so here are some rough estimates to make sure you’re not adding too much or too little onion to your dish:
- Small: A small onion should weigh about 4 ounces, fit easily in your hand, and should make about 1/2 cup when chopped.
- Medium: A medium onion is about twice the size of a small onion, weighs approximately 8 ounces and gives (you guessed it) about a cup when sliced.
- Large: The large onion is three times the size of the small (12 oz) and should make about 1 1/2 cups of chopped onions once you remove them with your knife.
Obviously, it is unlikely that you will find onions exactly 4, 8, or 12 ounces, but this is why I always recommend everyone to have a kitchen scale . But if you don’t have a scale yet, I wouldn’t worry too much; an extra ounce or two of onions won’t ruin your soup, meatloaf, or anything else. An extra bow never ruined anything.