88%
Red onion yields 88%
You buy red onion by its whole weight, but you only plate 88% of it. That 12% 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.
Papery skin and the root end are the only real loss; most of the bulb plates.
Say your invoice shows $1.20 per lb of red onion (an example AP price).
At 88% yield, your real cost is $1.36 per lb EP — because $1.20 ÷ 0.88 = $1.36.
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) | 88% |
| Lost to trim | 12% |
Source: CIA Standard Yield Tables.
Common questions
What is the yield of red onion?
Red onion typically yields 88% edible portion of its as-purchased weight, per the CIA Standard Yield Tables.
How much red onion is lost to trim?
About 12% 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 red onion?
Divide the as-purchased price by the yield: EP cost = AP price ÷ 0.88. At 88% 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