bread crumb question

[sage]

Okay - I have a question concerning bread crumb use in recipes.

Usually (OK, I always) buy those cans that have the breadcrumbs in them - seasoned or plain...

My experience with these is that they are pretty finely ground.

The question is - when a recipe calls for say - 1 cup dried bread crumbs. Are these finely ground breadcrumbs going to constitute more mass (for lack of a better word) than "homemade" bread crumbs? In my mind, if I weighed a cup of canned breadcrumbs vs homemade ones - I would guess that the canned would weigh more since they are so finely ground - they will pack in more tightly.

As it's been years since I made breadcrumbs - this may be for naught - maybe homemade breadcrumbs come out just as fine when made correctly...

Reason I'm asking is that I got to thinking that I might be drying things out (like meatloaf, etc) - or do most of you just go by the look of things with regards to bread crumbs and stop adding when it looks right to you?

Thanks,
S.Sage.

[karen w]

S. Sage,
When it comes to breadcrumbs this is how I interpret recipes(although I'm no authority on the subject!). If a recipe calls for dry breadcrumbs, I use the kind you buy in cannisters at the store. They usually are either seasoned or plain(and I season myself). These are the finer, heavier ones you are referring to. On the other hand, if a recipe calls for fresh breadcrumbs, I use homemade breadcrumbs which are coarser but less dense.
I make these in the food processor. If you don't want to bother making fresh breadcrumbs every time a recipe calls for them, you can do what I do; make a big batch at one time and throw them in the freezer for future recipes. Generally with either type of bread crumb, you may have to add more or less than the recipe calls for to attain the desired degree of moistness.
Hope this helps,
Karen

[MrsReber]

I always always always use store bought canned breadcrumbs. I have never made my own and I have never had a problem with a recipe turning out right. I just use my best judgment. If it seems like way too many breadcrumbs, I just cut back a little bit. For instance, I made the Italian meatloaf and it used way more breadcrumbs than I would normally use for my own meatloaf recipe (some recipe, I just throw things in and eye up the ingredients!) so I cut back on the CL meatloaf recipe. Hope this helps you some.