Pineapple yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Pineapple: about 52% usable going whole to peeled, cored flesh, with a published range of 17–80%. That is a cost factor of 1.92: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.92 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole → raw flesh (all samples) | 52% | 17–80% | Crown ~10%, core ~6%, parings ~32% | 1840 |
| Whole, excellent or good quality → flesh | 54% | 21–80% | Crown, core, parings and spoilage | 1841 |
| Whole, fair or poor quality → flesh | 43% | 17–56% | Crown, core, parings and spoilage | 1842 |
Half the pineapple you pay for goes in the bin. Peeling deep enough to take the eyes out in one pass is where most of the 32% parings loss comes from; a spiral cut saves some.
Prep notes
Take the top and bottom off, stand it up and cut the skin off in strips following the curve, just deep enough to catch most of the eyes; then cut out the remaining eyes in diagonal grooves. Quarter it and cut the core out in one strip from each quarter.
What the yield does to the cost
The choice most kitchens face is prepared pineapple, 500 g at £3.00 (Morrisons, 10 Oct 2026), which is £6.00 a usable kilo. At 52% usable, the whole product is only cheaper if it costs less than £3.12 a kilo as purchased, before you count the prep time.
| Usable pineapple needed | Buy (as purchased) at 52% |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.92 kg |
| 5 kg | 9.62 kg |
| 10 kg | 19.23 kg |
Use 52% in the yield calculator →
Typical uses
Fruit salads and breakfast fruit pots, gammon and pineapple, sweet and sour, salsas and cocktail garnishes.
Storage and the trim
Whole pineapples do not ripen after picking: keep at room temperature for a day or two, or in the fridge for up to five. Cut pineapple keeps three days covered in the fridge. The core is tough but fine juiced or in a cocktail syrup; the skin and crown are waste.
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 1840, 1841, 1842 (US samples of whole pineapples). 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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