Summary
Successfully converting recipes
for large-bath production requires understanding basic principles such as
volumetric and weight measurements, conversion factors, and surface and
volume.
Key Issues
During the early stages of
product development, it is generally advisable to work with small test
batches. Small batches are often easier to produce and are less costly
than the larger formulations that will eventually become part of the
commercialization process. Still, how small is small? If you are working
with a “home-style” recipe (typical serving 4-8), it is often recommended
that the recipe be quadrupled at the outset. After making adjustments for
taste and texture, this formulation becomes the base recipe from which
larger batches are developed.
The ingredients of most
non-commercial recipes are expressed in volume amounts (teaspoons, cups,
quarts, etc.), and for very small batch cooking volumetric measurement
will suffice. But for larger batch recipes, it is important to convert as
many ingredients as possible to weight measurements. This is especially
crucial in baking, where small inconsistencies at the test batch level can
lead to large-scale failures as batch size is increased. Simply put,
volume measurement is inexact, whereas weight measurement is
precise.
Understanding the methods for converting recipes,
therefore, is crucial. Most people can instinctively double or quadruple a
recipe, but it seems more complicated to move from a base recipe that
yields 8 units to one that yields 340. But with practice, and an
understanding of the basic principles of recipe conversion, increasing
batch size is straightforward.
Definition of Terms
Recipe. A
recipe is a set of instructions for producing a certain food product.
Recipes have two separate but equally important parts: 1) the ingredients
and amounts and 2) the procedure for preparing/cooking/packaging the
product.
Conversion factor. To convert a base recipe, begin
by simply dividing the new desired yield by the old yield. This quotient
is called the conversion factor.
Batching up. Once the
conversion factor has been determined, the next step is to multiply each
ingredient of the base recipe by the conversion factor. For non-metric
recipes, it will be necessary to convert most weights to ounces, and
volumes to fluid ounces. Once calculations are complete, gross ounce
amounts are adjusted to make batch size measurements convenient (e.g.,
5120 fluid ounces is converted to 40 gallons).
Surface and
Volume. The relationship of surface area to volume is important to
large batch production. A basic premise of geometry is that surface area
does not increase in direct proportion to increases in volume (1 cubic
foot has exactly 1 square foot of surface area, but 2 cubic feet do not
have 2 square feet of surface area-it’s actually closer to 1 1/2). Since
the ratio of surface area to volume decreases, less evaporation takes
place in “batched-up” recipes. In recipes with high moisture content
(soups, sauces, condiments, etc.), this dynamic leads to less reduction
and can alter dramatically the consistency of the final product.
Adjustments in the way the product is either formulated or cooked are
necessary to produce a product consistent with the base recipe.
Print Resources
Professional
Cooking
Reference Guide for Kansas Food
Processors
Establishing a Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen
(available through the National Business Incubator Association’s
bookstore. Visit their web page at http://www.nbia.org/)
Look for these book titles at your public
library or local bookstore. All books are also available through online
booksellers, such as amazon.com.
Web Resources
Measuring Units Conversion Table
http://www.french-property.com/ref/convert.htm
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