blake murphy wrote:

> i have some sympathy for what you are saying, and when you give a
> recipe verbally, you know who you're talking to and what to omit.
>
> but when writing something down, the extra effort to make things
> explicit isn't that great, and the audience to whom it will be useful
> is probably greater. i think we've all read complaints about
> grandma's recipes where the amounts or procedures are vague because
> *she* didn't need to be reminded of them.
>
> your pal,
> blake

It is also true that while it is a duh to assume that apples are peeled for
pie, it is not so obvious for, say applesauce, where the skin is often left
on to color it.

And sometimes people make preserved/candied fruits from canned
fruit--candied pineapple being a notable example.

I don't think it matters in this case, since the precise quantities probably
aren't important for success, but sometimes people write recipes that make
it unclear whether they mean the measure by weight or volume to be taken
before or after some step such as peeling and coring or chopping the item,
as in:

2 cups of shelled walnuts, chopped

vs

2 cups of walnuts, shelled and chopped

vs

2 cups of shelled and chopped walnuts.

Maybe it's the former technical writer in me. <G>