Example data table
| Produce | Total (g) | Inedible (g) | Losses (%) | Final edible (g) | Edible (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrots | 3000 | 250 | Trim 3, Wash 1, Dry 0 | 2641 | 88.0% |
| Spinach | 1200 | 100 | Trim 2, Wash 2, Dry 5 | 1004 | 83.6% |
| Tomatoes | 2500 | 60 | Trim 0, Wash 1, Dry 0 | 2416 | 96.6% |
Formula used
- Base edible = Total weight − Inedible weight
- After trim = Base edible × (1 − Trim loss%/100)
- After wash = After trim × (1 − Wash loss%/100)
- Final edible = After wash × (1 − Dry loss%/100)
- Edible % = (Final edible ÷ Total weight) × 100
- Yield factor = Final edible ÷ Total weight
- Per-item edible = Final edible ÷ Item count
How to use this calculator
- Weigh your harvested produce before trimming.
- Weigh the removed parts and enter inedible weight.
- Add optional loss percentages for extra trimming or washing.
- Enter item count to estimate edible per piece.
- Press Calculate to view results above the form.
- Download a CSV or PDF for your garden records.
Why edible portion matters in garden planning
Edible portion converts a harvest weight into usable food weight. A 2.0 kg basket can shrink after tops, peels, bruises, and water loss. Tracking yield factor helps you estimate how much to pick for meals, freezing, or sharing, without guessing or overharvesting.
Common loss drivers you can measure
Losses usually come from three steps: discard weight, trimming, and post-wash moisture changes. Root crops often lose 3–10% to peeling and tip removal. Leafy greens may lose 5–15% after washing and drying, depending on grit and wilting. Entering realistic percentages improves repeatability. For squash and cucumbers, the discard weight may be near zero, but wash loss can rise when fruit is heavily soiled.
Using yield factor to scale recipes
Yield factor equals final edible divided by total harvest. If your tomatoes average 0.96, then 5.0 kg harvested gives about 4.8 kg usable. For pesto herbs, a 0.70 factor is common when stems are removed and leaves dehydrate. Save factors by crop and season for faster forecasting. When you know the factor, you can reverse-plan: required harvest = edible target ÷ yield factor.
Recordkeeping for harvest and storage goals
Use the produce name field to log bed, variety, or date, then export CSV for spreadsheets. Compare edible percent across weeks to spot weather effects: hot days can increase drying loss, while rain can add extra wash loss from splashing soil. These notes improve timing and harvesting methods daily. Pair results with storage outcomes, such as jar count or freezer bags, to connect yield with pantry capacity.
Waste weight can support compost decisions
The waste estimate includes inedible parts and processing losses, so it’s useful for compost planning. If you process 10 kg of greens weekly with 25% waste, that’s 2.5 kg for compost or vermiculture. Knowing volumes helps size bins, balance browns, and reduce odor risks. Tracking waste also highlights efficiency wins, like harvesting younger leaves, sharpening knives, or chilling greens before washing to reduce breakage.
FAQs
1) What should I enter as inedible weight?
Weigh stems, tops, peels, spoiled pieces, and any parts you will not eat. If you can’t weigh them, estimate conservatively and refine later using repeated harvest notes.
2) Why are losses applied in sequence?
Trimming, washing, and drying act on what remains after the prior step. Sequential application prevents double-counting and better matches real processing where each stage reduces the available edible mass.
3) How do I choose realistic loss percentages?
Start with small values and adjust after a few batches. Leafy greens often need higher wash and drying losses, while firm fruits may have near-zero trim loss unless damaged or overripe.
4) What does yield factor help me plan?
Yield factor lets you scale harvest needs. If your target edible amount is known, divide it by yield factor to estimate required harvest weight for cooking, preserving, or weekly CSA-style packing.
5) Can I mix units across fields?
No. Choose one unit and enter all weights in that unit. The calculator converts internally for accuracy, but mixing units in inputs will distort the edible percent and waste estimates.
6) Does this work for dried herbs and dehydrated produce?
Yes. Use drying loss to reflect moisture reduction or leaf shrinkage before storage. For full dehydration, drying loss can be high; record your typical values to build consistent, crop-specific factors.