Recipe Yields
A recipe yield indicates the number of portions one will achieve when following a recipe…
Example: Yields 4 – This means you will feed 4 people if you follow this recipe.
I’m sure you have had many a situation where your recipe only caters for 4 but you want to cook for more OR, your recipe caters for 10 but you only want to cook for 2 … and probably like me, you spend ages trying to work out the new measurements and end up confusing yourself to the point of no return! Well, you can put that all behind you and take on any recipe with confidence, by using this very simple formula that I learnt in culinary school –
New Yield / Old Yield x Old Measurement
In other words – New Yield = the number of people you want to feed with this recipe. Old Yield = the number of people this recipe currently feeds. Old measurement = the ingredient measurement per item as listed on the recipe.
Example –
Spaghetti Recipe
Yield 4
Ingredients:
Pasta 50grms
Mince 500grms
Tomato Puree – 30ml
Chopped up tinned tomatoes – 250grms
Onion 1
Beef stock – 500ml
You have the above recipe but you are having 10 people over for dinner – therefore;
10 divide by 4 = 2.5 (new yield divided by old yield = 2.5)
Pasta 50grms x 2.5 = 125grms
Mince 500grms x 2.5 = 1,250 kgs
Tomato Puree – 30ml x 2.5 = 75ml
Chopped up tinned tomatoes – 250grms x 2.5 = 625grms
Onion 1 x 2.5 = 2.5 onions
Beef stock – 500ml x 2.5 = 1,250 litres
Note: If you want to reduce the yield of a recipe – apply the same formula –
Example –
Spaghetti Recipe
Yield 4
Ingredients:
Pasta 50grms
Mince 500grms
Tomato Puree – 30ml
Chopped up tinned tomatoes – 250grms
Onion 1
Beef stock – 500ml
You have the above recipe but you just want to make enough for just yourself – therefore;
1 divide by 4 = 0.25 (new yield divided by old yield = 0.25)
Pasta 50grms x 0.25 = 12.5grms
Mince 500grms x 0.25 = 125grms
Tomato Puree – 30ml x 0.25 = 7.5ml
Chopped up tinned tomatoes – 250grms x 0.25 = 62.5grms
Onion 1 x 0.25 = quarter onion
Beef stock – 500ml x 0.25 = 125ml
