Sweet potatoes yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Sweet potatoes: about 80% usable going whole to peeled, with a published range of 69–91%. That is a cost factor of 1.25: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.25 kg as purchased.
Typical yield80%
Cost factor (AP ÷ EP)1.25
Lost in prep20%
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole → peeled (all methods) | 80% | 69–91% | Skin and ends | 2496 |
| Whole → peeled by hand | 88% | 78–91% | Skin and ends | 2497 |
| Whole → peeled by machine | 72% | 69–76% | Skin, ends and flesh | 2498 |
| Peeled → baked | 78% | 68–87% | Cooking loss | 2499 |
| Peeled → boiled or steamed | 100% | 87–106% | Nothing on average | 2500 |
| Baked in skin → flesh scooped out | 78% | 63–90% | Skin and cooking loss | 2512 |
Hand peeling wastes much less than a machine. For sweet potato fries, baking costs about a fifth of the peeled weight.
What the yield does to the cost
| Usable sweet potatoes needed | Buy (as purchased) at 80% |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.25 kg |
| 5 kg | 6.25 kg |
| 10 kg | 12.5 kg |
Use 80% in the yield calculator →
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 2496, 2497, 2498, 2499, 2500, 2512 (US samples of fresh sweet potatoes). Your own case is the real number: weigh it in the yield calculator.
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