Strawberries yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Strawberries: about 94% usable going whole to hulled, with a published range of 86–99%. That is a cost factor of 1.06: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.06 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good quality → hulled | 94% | 86–99% | Caps and stems | 2473 |
| Fair quality → hulled | 86% | 60–98% | Caps, stems, green and spoiled berries | 2474 |
| Frozen, sweetened, whole → thawed and drained | 59% | 49–71% | Liquid | 2475 |
| Frozen, unsweetened, whole → thawed and drained | 91% | 91–91% | Liquid | 2477 |
Fresh strawberries in good condition lose very little. A tray past its best can lose 40%, which is why the range on fair-quality fruit is so wide.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 94%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.06 kg |
| 5 kg | 5.32 kg |
| 10 kg | 10.64 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.94. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable strawberries cost £1.06 a kilo.
Use 94% 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 2473, 2474, 2475, 2477. These are averages from US samples of fresh strawberries, 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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