Ah, those clever marketers. They are such magicians with the smoke-and-mirrors technique of downsized packaging. Citing higher costs for ingredients, manufacturing processes and fuel (and a concern for the environment, of course), food manufacturers have gradually downsized our food by repackaging it.

Yep, those downsized packaging pioneers have surely made us prisoners of Madison Avenue. Why, their downsizing trick has also made it nearly impossible to follow an old genuine family recipe in our family cookbooks. The new downsized packaging throws off the proportions in any old family recipe that calls for a “can” of something instead of the number of ounces, teaspoons, etc.

Before downsized packaging was invented, we just made the old family recipe. Now we have to decide a course of action when making old family recipes. We can either:

1. Buy a second downsized package, or another size up, of the needed ingredient to make up for the shortfall caused by the new downsized packaging. (Those Madmen will LOVE that!)

OR

2. Alter all old family recipes to accommodate the quantities now available in the new downsized packaging. Converting recipes to downsized packaging quantities would require some editing and calculations (a formidable task for those of us who are new math challenged.)

Well, there is a third option: Ignore the new downsized packaging and make the old family recipe anyway, and hope for the best.

FYI (and in case you haven’t noticed), here are some examples of the new downsized packaging:

Best Foods/Hellmann’s Mayonnaise – The downsized jar has been trimmed to 30 ounces instead of 32. (Your quart jar is no longer a “quart” jar anymore.)

Boxed Breakfast Cereal – Most cereal boxes have been downsized an average of 2.4 ounces per box. Apple Jacks are 15 ounces instead of 17. Fruit Loops are 17 ounces instead of 19.7. The packaging secret is that the box height is the same but the box depth has been reduced (and thinner boxes hold less).

Coffee – What used to be a one pound can is now 13 ounces; a three pound can is now 39 ounces. (I’m told this packaging has been downsized for some time.)

Country Crock Margarine  – The large plastic tubs have been downsized from three pounds to two pounds 13 ounces.

Hershey’s “Giant” Chocolate Bar – Boo Hoo! It was eight ounces, and now is 6.8. (How does a downsized product rate the name “Giant” anyway?)

Ice Cream – What used to be a hefty 64 ounces (2 quarts) a few years ago is now downsized to only 48 ounces. Breyers, Dreyer’s and Edy’s Grand ice cream containers were 1.75 quarts at one time, but have been downsized to 1.5 quarts (a 25% change).

Skippy Peanut Butter – Downsized to 16.3 ounces from 18 ounces (check out the big dimple in the bottom).

Star Kist Tuna – A regular can of tuna is now a downsized 5 ounces instead of 6 ounces.

On a non-food downsized item: Scott toilet tissue – Still has 1,000 sheets, but the sheets have been trimmed from 4” to 3.7” squares. Quilted Northern also has smaller sheets, but went to three-ply instead of two. Bottom line is that you and I are getting fewer square inches of paper. (Maybe that’s why it seems like I’m putting a new roll on every few days!)

While some may argue that downsized packaging is good for the economy (and waistlines, perhaps), anyone with any sense knows it isn’t good when you pay MORE to get LESS.  So, next time you’re at the supermarket shopping for ingredients to make an old family recipe (with coupons in hand, no doubt), remember to check for downsized packaging and compare unit prices to get the better buy.

As for your family recipe cookbook, you may want to read through and edit old recipes to be more specific when they call for “cans” instead of ounces. But even if you don’t want to make the changes needed with the new downsized packaging, it’s okay. After all, your old family recipes have endured time, family taste changes, and new improved ways to cook. Surely they can also endure the smoke and mirrors of Madmen.

Happy cookbooking,

Matilda

Making a recipe book? Check out all the recipe software and cookbook binding supplies we have at CookbookPeople.com.

If you enjoyed this article, you might check out:
• Interpreting Old Heirloom Recipes for Today’s Modern Family Cookbook
• Leaping Leprechauns, Irish Coffee Good Enough to Talk About the Day After
• Cookbook Recipes & the Grocery Shopping Checklist Notepad

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