Brussels sprouts yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Brussels sprouts: about 90% usable going untrimmed to trimmed, ready to cook, with a published range of 88–92%. That is a cost factor of 1.11: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.11 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Untrimmed, good quality → trimmed, ready to cook | 90% | 88–92% | Outer leaves | 423 |
| Untrimmed, fair quality → trimmed, ready to cook | 70% | 66–77% | Outer leaves | 424 |
| Trimmed → boiled | 109% | 93–122% | Gains water (+9% on average) | 426 |
| Trimmed → steamed | 105% | 98–111% | Gains water (+5% on average) | 427 |
| Frozen → boiled | 96% | 88–101% | Small net loss | 429 |
The quality of the sack matters more than the cook: good sprouts lose 10% to trimming, tired ones lose 30%. Boiled sprouts weigh more than they did raw, so a cooked-weight portion goes further than the raw weight suggests.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 90%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.11 kg |
| 5 kg | 5.56 kg |
| 10 kg | 11.11 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.90. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable brussels sprouts cost £1.11 a kilo.
Use 90% in the yield calculator →
Where the numbers come from
USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 102, Food Yields Summarized by Different Stages of Preparation (Matthews and Garrison, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 1975), Table 1, items 423, 424, 426, 427, 429. These are averages from US samples of untrimmed Brussels sprouts, weighed before and after each stage of prep. Varieties, sizes, UK grading and your own knife work all move the number, which is why every row shows the range as well as the average.
Use these figures to plan and to sense-check. To cost a dish properly, weigh your own: weigh a case as it arrives, prep it the way you do in service, weigh what is usable, and put both weights into the yield calculator.
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