Can sizes can be confusing

Dorothy Dean was an old-fashioned lady.

Readers have been enjoying pages of commemorative recipes from the Dorothy Dean Homemakers’ Service published recently to help celebrate The Spokesman-Review’s 125 year of publication. But a few were stumped by a recent recipe calling for a No. 2 can of crushed pineapple. They must have been making the Emerald Isle Salad for St. Patrick’s Day.

Shorthand can sizes are no longer commonly known. Most people now recognize cans by weight. For example, those 14- to 16-ounce cans that contain everything from tomato sauce to chicken broth were known as No. 300 cans.

A No. 2 can contains 1 pound, 4 ounces or approximately 2 1/2 cups.