Swede yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Swede: about 85% usable going whole to peeled, with a published range of 67–94%. That is a cost factor of 1.18: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.18 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Without tops → peeled | 85% | 67–94% | Parings | 2224 |
| Peeled → boiled or steamed | 93% | 88–101% | Net change | 2225 |
| Cooked → mashed, nothing added | 98% | 97–99% | Mashing losses | 2226 |
Yields multiply: 85% × 93% ≈ 79% for whole → boiled. You never add the losses together.
Swede has a thick, waxy skin, and the range for peeling is wide. Weigh a few before you cost a mash for a roast-dinner menu.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 85%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.18 kg |
| 5 kg | 5.88 kg |
| 10 kg | 11.76 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.85. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable swede cost £1.18 a kilo.
Use 85% 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 2224, 2225, 2226. These are averages from US samples of swedes (listed by the USDA as rutabagas) without tops, 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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