Recipe Yield and Trim Loss
Buying 10 pounds of bone-in or skin-on product does not yield 10 pounds of sellable food. Yield percentage = usable weight divided by purchase weight; putting yield into the recipe gives the real cost per portion.
Yield and trim loss
An 80% yield means 1 kg purchased leaves 0.8 kg usable.
Effective unit cost = purchase price divided by yield, not the purchase price.
Track peeling, meat trimming and cooking shrink separately.
Scaling recipes
Apply yield first, then scale by sellable portions; do not multiply purchase weight directly.
Run a small batch to confirm shrink/absorption before scaling.
Put yield on the recipe card and recalculate when suppliers change.
FAQ
How do I measure yield?
Weigh purchase, trimmed and cooked weights; use the yield that matches the stage.
Is 100% yield possible?
Rare; only ingredients with no trim or moisture loss come close.
Can yield change?
Yes, with supplier, season, spec and technique.