Leeks yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Leeks: about 44% usable going whole to the white and pale green, with a published range of 35–58%. That is a cost factor of 2.27: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 2.27 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole → bulb and lower leaf (white and pale green) | 44% | 35–58% | Tops (about 46%), root ends and skin | 1412 |
Less than half a leek is the white and pale green you cook with. If you use the dark tops in stock, cost the leek on the whole weight and treat the stock as a by-product.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 44%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 2.27 kg |
| 5 kg | 11.36 kg |
| 10 kg | 22.73 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.44. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable leeks cost £2.27 a kilo.
Use 44% 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 1412. These are averages from US samples of whole raw leeks, 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