65%
Butter lettuce yields 65%
You buy butter lettuce by its whole weight, but you only plate 65% of it. That 35% loss is real cost the invoice never shows — here's the math.
Yield is the fraction of an ingredient that actually reaches the plate after you clean, peel, and trim it. What you pay is the AP (as-purchased) price; what it costs on the plate is the EP (edible-portion) price.
Coring, ribs, and bruised outer leaves are the loss. Weigh what you actually plate, not what you carry in from the walk-in.
Say your invoice shows $2.00 per head of butter lettuce (an example AP price).
At 65% yield, your real cost is $3.08 per head EP — because $2.00 ÷ 0.65 = $3.08.
AP price is illustrative; the EP figure is computed (AP ÷ yield). Use your real invoice price below.Yield breakdown
| As-purchased (AP) | 100% |
|---|---|
| Edible portion (EP) | 65% |
| Lost to trim | 35% |
Source: CIA Standard Yield Tables.
Common questions
What is the yield of butter lettuce?
Butter lettuce typically yields 65% edible portion of its as-purchased weight, per the CIA Standard Yield Tables.
How much butter lettuce is lost to trim?
About 35% of the as-purchased weight is lost to cleaning, peeling, and trimming before it reaches the plate.
How do you calculate the edible-portion cost of butter lettuce?
Divide the as-purchased price by the yield: EP cost = AP price ÷ 0.65. At 65% yield, the trim makes your real plated cost meaningfully higher than the invoice price.
Sourced: CIA Standard Yield Tables, via the Plate Cost Calculator · what yield means · edible portion