Cabbage yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Cabbage: about 80% usable going whole head to trimmed, cored, with a published range of 58–92%. That is a cost factor of 1.25: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.25 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole head → trimmed, cored (outer leaves and core off) | 80% | 58–92% | Outer leaves (~14%) and core (~6%) | 441 |
| Whole head → core removed only | 93% | 91–96% | Core | 440 |
| Ready to cook → boiled or steamed | 96% | 77–121% | Net change, small on average | 442 |
Yields multiply: 80% × 96% ≈ 77% for whole → cooked. You never add the losses together.
How hard you strip the outer leaves decides most of the loss. A tight, well-trimmed head from the supplier loses little more than its core.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 80%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.25 kg |
| 5 kg | 6.25 kg |
| 10 kg | 12.5 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.80. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable cabbage cost £1.25 a kilo.
Use 80% 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 441, 440, 442. These are averages from US samples of whole green, red or white cabbage heads, 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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