Calculating the food cost of carrots after cleaning and trimming. I’ve compared two common sizes of diced carrots for the kitchens and restaurants. Half inch and quarter inch.
- Small Dice (about 1/4 inch cubes): A cup of small-diced carrots typically weighs around 150 grams. The small size allows for more carrots to fit in the cup, hence a slightly heavier weight.
- Medium Dice (about 1/2 inch cubes): For medium-diced carrots, a cup would weigh slightly less, around 130 grams, due to the larger size of the pieces, which means there’s a bit more air space between them compared to small diced carrots.
As a kitchen manager or chef, details really do matter. That’s why it’s important to use some type of food cost calculator to help you keep your food costs under control. A common yet often overlooked aspect of food costing is the yield from fresh produce.
The Importance of Weight over Volume
First and foremost, it’s imperative to stress the importance of using weight as a standard measurement in recipes rather than volume. Weight provides a consistent and reliable measure, crucial for maintaining recipe integrity and managing food costs effectively. This is especially true for ingredients like carrots, where the volume can vary significantly based on the abovementioned preparation method.
Yield Percentage Factors
After cleaning and trimming, carrot yield percentages can vary. For instance, when carrots are diced or sliced, the yield percentage might hover around 80-85%, considering the waste from peeling and the small ends being trimmed off. Shredded carrots might offer a slightly higher yield, around 85-90%, as the process can utilize more of the carrot, albeit still producing some waste.
| Bag Size | Cost Per Bag | Cost Per LB | Yield (%) | Cost Per LB (AS) |
| 5 Lb | $5.35 | $1.07 | 85% | $1.26 |
| 50 Lb | $35.55 | $0.71 | 85% | $0.84 |
For example, carrots, a staple in cuisines worldwide, are typically purchased in bulk, often in 5 lb, 10 lb or 50 lb bags. While the initial cost might seem straightforward, the true value lies in understanding the yield after cleaning, peeling, and preparing the carrots in various forms: sliced, diced, shredded, pureed, etc. Understanding the yield percentage is crucial for accurate food costing and recipe development. Although carrots are traditionally an inexpensive item in your inventory, this concept applies to all your produce items. As such, keep reading.
This is just a table but it’s not too far off of what would actually be in an Excel template that I use in my food costing software.
Cost Analysis
To illustrate the cost implications, let’s consider the purchase of carrots in 5 lb and 50 lb bags, with suggested prices of $5.35 and $35.55, respectively. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the costs associated with 1 lb of diced carrots:
- 5 lb bag: Purchase price is $5.35, equating to $1.07 per lb.
- 50 lb bag: Purchase price is $35.55, bringing the cost down to $0.71 per lb.
Assuming an 85% yield for diced carrots, the actual usable carrot per pound is 0.85 lb. Thus, the cost for usable diced carrots would be:
- 5 lb bag: $1.07 / 0.85 = $1.26 per lb of usable diced carrots.
- 50 lb bag: $0.71 / 0.85 = $0.84 per lb of usable diced carrots.
This simple analysis reveals the cost efficiency of purchasing in larger quantities, provided that storage and usage rates justify the bulk purchase. I have been in situations where the volume discount was so much better that it didn’t matter what happened to any leftover product. It could have gone to waste, and I still would have been ahead in lowering the food cost.
As I mentioned above, carrots are the least of your worries for food cost alerts, but this is how detailed you have to be with everything that you buy and use in your recipes.
