Iceberg lettuce yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Iceberg lettuce: about 71% usable going catering pack to trimmed leaves, with a published range of 67–87%. That is a cost factor of 1.41: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.41 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catering pack → trimmed leaves (coarse leaves and core off) | 71% | 67–87% | Coarse leaves and core | 1424 |
| Catering pack → trimmed to a retail-style head | 78% | 73–86% | Coarse outer leaves | 1423 |
| Retail-trimmed head → trimmed and cored | 93% | 88–96% | Core and wilted leaves | 1425 |
| Cos or romaine, catering pack → trimmed and cored | 64% | 51–78% | Outer leaves, core, trimmings and cutting loss | 1421 |
A case of iceberg loses about 29% before it reaches a plate, and cos loses more. Cost a salad garnish on the usable weight, not on the head.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 71%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.41 kg |
| 5 kg | 7.04 kg |
| 10 kg | 14.08 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.71. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable iceberg lettuce cost £1.41 a kilo.
Use 71% 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 1424, 1423, 1425, 1421. These are averages from US samples of crisphead (iceberg) lettuce, catering pack, 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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