In cooking, yield is the amount of usable food produced from an ingredient or recipe after a defined operation. Trimming, peeling, boning, cooking and portioning can all change the quantity available for service. Yield is important in professional kitchens because it affects purchasing, recipe costing, portion size, production planning and food waste.
Weigh the ingredient before processing, then weigh the usable product after the operation. To calculate yield percentage, divide the usable weight by the starting weight and multiply by 100.
Yield percentage = usable weight ÷ original weight × 100
A whole salmon weighs 10 kg. After filleting and trimming, the kitchen has 6 kg of usable fillets.
6 kg ÷ 10 kg × 100 = 60% yield.
The remaining 4 kg may include the head, bones, skin and trim. Some portions may be suitable for stock or another preparation, depending on quality, the recipe and food-safety controls. If those by-products are used, record them separately rather than counting them as fillet yield.
Yield must always be tied to a specific stage. Trimming yield measures the usable amount after preparation; cooking yield measures the weight remaining after cooking, when moisture and fat loss may reduce the product; and portion or finished yield records how many saleable portions a batch produces. Do not compare figures from different stages as if they measured the same thing.
The purchase price is based on the product as received, but menu costing must account for the amount that can actually be served. If a 10 kg purchase produces only 6 kg of usable fillet, the effective cost per kilogram of fillet is higher than the invoice cost per kilogram of whole fish. Accurate yield tests help chefs compare suppliers, set portion sizes, calculate recipe costs and identify avoidable waste.
Chef’s tip: Use the same product specification, trimming standard, scale and weighing stage each time. Record the date, supplier, starting weight, usable weight and by-products so the result can be repeated and compared.
Related terms: A.P. weight, culinary yield, yield percentage and yield test.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
