Tomatoes yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Tomatoes: about 88% usable going whole to cored and trimmed, with a published range of 88–88%. That is a cost factor of 1.14: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.14 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole → stem removed | 98% | 98–99% | Stem ends | 2539 |
| Whole → peeled | 90% | 84–94% | Skin | 2540 |
| Whole → cored and trimmed | 88% | 88–88% | Core and trimmings | 2541 |
| Whole → peeled, cored and trimmed | 82% | 78–84% | Skin, core and trimmings | 2542 |
| Peeled, cored and trimmed → diced | 92% | 88–96% | Juice and handling loss | 2543 |
| Catering tin (US No. 10 can) → drained solids | 75% | 68–89% | Liquid | 2546 |
Yields multiply: 82% × 92% ≈ 75% for whole → peeled and diced. You never add the losses together.
Peeling and dicing for a concassé takes a quarter of the weight. A drained catering tin gives about the same 75%, which is worth knowing when a recipe asks for drained tomatoes by weight.
How much to buy
As-purchased (AP) weight = the edible weight you need (EP) ÷ the yield. At 88%:
| Usable weight needed | Buy (as purchased) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.14 kg |
| 5 kg | 5.68 kg |
| 10 kg | 11.36 kg |
Cost works the same way: usable cost per kilo = the price per kilo you pay ÷ 0.88. At £1.00 a kilo as purchased, usable tomatoes cost £1.14 a kilo.
Use 88% 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 2539, 2540, 2541, 2542, 2543, 2546. These are averages from US samples of whole regular-size tomatoes, 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