55%

Whole salmon yields 55%

You buy whole salmon by its whole weight, but you only plate 55% of it. That 45% 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.

On a whole fish, the head, frame, skin, and trim are the loss — a whole fish at a low per-pound price can cost more per plated ounce than a fillet.

Say your invoice shows $7.00 per lb of whole salmon (an example AP price).

At 55% yield, your real cost is $12.73 per lb EP — because $7.00 ÷ 0.55 = $12.73.

AP price is illustrative; the EP figure is computed (AP ÷ yield). Use your real invoice price below.

Sourced: CIA Standard Yield Tables, via the Plate Cost Calculator · what yield means · edible portion