Garlic yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Garlic: about 87% usable going bulbs to peeled cloves, with a published range of 87–88%. That is a cost factor of 1.15: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.15 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulbs → peeled cloves, raw | 87% | 87–88% | Knob and skins | 1152 |
On 10 October 2026 JJ Foodservice listed fresh garlic at £3.49 a kilo and ready-peeled garlic at £4.49 a kilo. At 87% the bulbs come to £4.01 per usable kilo, so peeled garlic costs about 48p a kilo more, and saves the time it takes to peel a kilo of cloves.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 87%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.15 kg |
| 5 kg | 5.75 kg |
| 10 kg | 11.49 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.87. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable garlic cost £1.15 a kilo.
Use 87% 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, item 1152. These are averages from US samples of whole garlic bulbs, 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.
All ingredient yields · Yield calculator · How to work out yield percentage