Pineapple yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Pineapple: about 52% usable going whole to peeled, cored flesh, with a published range of 17–80%. That is a cost factor of 1.92: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.92 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole → raw flesh (all samples) | 52% | 17–80% | Crown ~10%, core ~6%, parings ~32% | 1840 |
| Whole, excellent or good quality → flesh | 54% | 21–80% | Crown, core, parings and spoilage | 1841 |
| Whole, fair or poor quality → flesh | 43% | 17–56% | Crown, core, parings and spoilage | 1842 |
Half the pineapple you pay for goes in the bin. Peeling deep enough to take the eyes out in one pass is where most of the 32% parings loss comes from; a spiral cut saves some.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 52%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.92 kg |
| 5 kg | 9.62 kg |
| 10 kg | 19.23 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.52. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable pineapple cost £1.92 a kilo.
Use 52% 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 1840, 1841, 1842. These are averages from US samples of whole pineapples, 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