When measuring dry ingredients, you should know when to pack the ingredient into the cup.

When measuring dry ingredients, you should know when to pack the ingredient into the cup.

• A. Always pack
• B. Never pack
• C. Pack only when the recipe specifies
• D. Pack to overflow

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how packing affects the amount you measure for dry ingredients. Packing changes the density in the cup, so the same volume can hold different actual weights depending on whether the ingredient is packed or not. Packing only when the recipe specifies is the best approach because some ingredients are meant to be measured packed (like brown sugar, where compression gives the intended amount). For most dry ingredients, such as flour, you usually spoon into the cup and level off to avoid packing, which keeps the measurement accurate. If you pack when it isn’t specified, you can end up adding more than intended; if you don’t pack when the recipe expects packing, you may under-measure. So, the correct approach is to pack only when the recipe specifies.

The idea being tested is how packing affects the amount you measure for dry ingredients. Packing changes the density in the cup, so the same volume can hold different actual weights depending on whether the ingredient is packed or not.

Packing only when the recipe specifies is the best approach because some ingredients are meant to be measured packed (like brown sugar, where compression gives the intended amount). For most dry ingredients, such as flour, you usually spoon into the cup and level off to avoid packing, which keeps the measurement accurate. If you pack when it isn’t specified, you can end up adding more than intended; if you don’t pack when the recipe expects packing, you may under-measure.

So, the correct approach is to pack only when the recipe specifies.