Apples yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Apples: about 78% usable going whole to peeled, cored flesh, with a published range of 60–87%. That is a cost factor of 1.28: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.28 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole, all varieties → flesh (peeled, cored) | 78% | 60–87% | Skin (~7%), core and stem (~8%), defects (~7%) | 17 |
| Whole, Golden Delicious → flesh | 77% | 68–87% | Skin, core, stem and defects | 20 |
| Whole, Delicious → flesh | 81% | 67–85% | Skin, core, stem and defects | 19 |
The handbook tested US varieties; Bramley and Gala are not listed, so weigh a case of your own. For a crumble or pie, about a fifth of the apple you buy ends up as peel and core.
Prep notes
Peel and core, then hold the pieces in acidulated water or a little lemon juice to stop them browning. For a crumble or pie, slice rather than dice: you lose less flesh around the core and the filling sits flatter.
What the yield does to the cost
Green apples, box of 10 at £2.99 (JJ Foodservice, 10 Oct 2026), assuming 10 apples of about 150 g, is £1.99 a kilo as purchased. At 78% usable that is £2.56 per usable kilo.
Worked example: 600 g of sliced apple for a six-portion crumble needs 769 g as purchased, costing £1.53. Costed on the bought weight it would read £1.20, so the costing would be 22% light.
| Usable apples needed | Buy (as purchased) at 78% |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.28 kg |
| 5 kg | 6.41 kg |
| 10 kg | 12.82 kg |
Use 78% in the yield calculator →
Typical uses
Crumbles and pies, apple sauce for pork, slaws and salads, and cheese boards.
Storage and the trim
Refrigerate: apples soften about ten times faster at room temperature. Keep them away from leafy veg, which the ethylene they give off yellows. Peels and cores simmered with sugar make an apple jelly or a syrup for drinks.
Yield source: USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 102, Food Yields Summarized by Different Stages of Preparation (Matthews and Garrison, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 1975), Table 1, items 17, 20, 19 (US samples of whole raw apples). Prices as stated, read on 10 Oct 2026. Your own case is the real number: weigh it in the yield calculator.
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