Brussels sprouts yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Brussels sprouts: about 90% usable going untrimmed to trimmed, ready to cook, with a published range of 88–92%. That is a cost factor of 1.11: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.11 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Untrimmed, good quality → trimmed, ready to cook | 90% | 88–92% | Outer leaves | 423 |
| Untrimmed, fair quality → trimmed, ready to cook | 70% | 66–77% | Outer leaves | 424 |
| Trimmed → boiled | 109% | 93–122% | Gains water (+9% on average) | 426 |
| Trimmed → steamed | 105% | 98–111% | Gains water (+5% on average) | 427 |
| Frozen → boiled | 96% | 88–101% | Small net loss | 429 |
The quality of the sack matters more than the cook: good sprouts lose 10% to trimming, tired ones lose 30%. Boiled sprouts weigh more than they did raw, so a cooked-weight portion goes further than the raw weight suggests.
Prep notes
Trim the base and take off only the loose or damaged outer leaves; cutting a cross in the base is unnecessary and lets water in. Halve larger sprouts so they cook in the same time as small ones.
What the yield does to the cost
Button sprouts, 800 g bag (supermarket) at £1.15 (Morrisons, 10 Oct 2026) is £1.44 a kilo as purchased. At 90% usable that is £1.60 per usable kilo.
Worked example: an 80 g portion of sprouts on a roast needs 89 g as purchased, costing 13p. Costed on the bought weight it would read 12p, so the costing would be 10% light: 1p a portion, or £1.28 over 100 portions.
| Usable brussels sprouts needed | Buy (as purchased) at 90% |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.11 kg |
| 5 kg | 5.56 kg |
| 10 kg | 11.11 kg |
Use 90% in the yield calculator →
Typical uses
Christmas and Sunday roasts, sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, shredded raw in winter slaws.
Storage and the trim
Keep in the fridge, in the net or loosely bagged, for up to a week; yellowing outer leaves are the first sign of age. Outer leaves that are clean can be fried until crisp as a garnish.
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 423, 424, 426, 427, 429 (US samples of untrimmed Brussels sprouts). 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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