Helping you prepare foods in a hurry!

How to Interpret Can Sizes: What to Do if a Recipe Calls for a Number 2 Can

Alice Henneman, MS, RD, UNL Extension in Lancaster County

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Some favorite older recipes may call for can sizes such as a Number 2 or a Number 303 can.

Here's a chart to help you determine how these correspond to current can measurements.

Can Size Number	Approximate Volume of Food	Approximate Weight of Food
No. 1 picnic	1 1/4 cups	10 1/2 to 12 ounces
No. 300	1 3/4 cups	14 to 16 ounces
No. 303	2 cups	16 to 17 ounces
No. 2	2 1/2 cups	20 ounces
No. 2 1/2	3 1/2 cups	27 to 29 ounces
No. 3	5 3/4 cups	51 ounces
No. 10	3 quarts	6 1/2 pounds to 7 pounds and 5 ounces

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