Dry vs wet volume — bushel, dry pint, dry quart
Dry measure and liquid measure use the same names (pint, quart) for different volumes.
US customary preserves two parallel volume systems for historical trade reasons. Dry volumes cover grain, produce, salt — anything measured heaped or level. Liquid volumes cover fluids. Modern practice usually specifies which system, but recipes and shipping manifests occasionally drop the qualifier.
The exact factors
1 US dry pint = 550.6 mL > 1 US liquid pint = 473.2 mL (14% smaller) > 1 US dry quart = 1101.2 mL > 1 US bushel = 32 dry quarts = 35.24 L > 1 US peck = 8 dry quarts = 8.81 L
Where each is used
Dry: grain (bushel of wheat = 27.22 kg by convention), produce shipping, some spices. Liquid: everything else. Berries — depending on state — sold in either.
Worked example — flour recipe
'2 quarts flour' in a US colonial-recipe book means 2 dry quarts = 2.20 L. Modern cook reads as liquid quarts and uses 1.89 L — 15% shortfall by volume. Baking recipes shift dramatically at 15% off.
Recap
Same word, different volume. Dry ≈ 1.16 × liquid. Recipes and shipping manifests should always specify.
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FAQ
Is 'bushel' a mass or volume?+
Volume by strict definition, but customary trade converts to mass by commodity (wheat bushel = 60 lb, corn = 56 lb).
Do metric systems have this split?+
No — SI uses litres for both. The split is US customary only.
This article was written by The Turbo Unit Converter engineering desk (Applied metrology & engineering units) and last reviewed on 2026-07-07 against NIST SP 811 and the BIPM SI Brochure. Read our full editorial policy.