Butternut Squash Yield: Peeled Squash per Pound

A pound of whole butternut squash gives about 0.84 lb of peeled, seeded squash ready to cook (USDA Food Buying Guide), and USDA Handbook 102 reports the same 84%, with a range of 75–88%. Winter squash keeps about 85% of that ready-to-cook weight when baked and 89% when boiled or steamed, so a pound of whole butternut ends up as roughly 0.71 lb baked or 0.75 lb boiled.

USDA yields for butternut squash

From the USDA Food Buying Guide: how much ready-to-use or cooked product one pound as purchased gives. The figures work the same in metric: 0.84 lb per pound is 0.84 kg per kilogram.

As purchased (USDA description)	Result, as USDA states it	Yield	Source
Squash, Winter, fresh; Butternut, Whole	1 lb AP = 0.84 lb ready-to-cook pared squash (ready to use, raw)	84%	FBG table

USDA preparation yields for butternut squash (Handbook 102)

From USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 102, Food Yields Summarized by Different Stages of Preparation (1975): the weight left after each step, as a percentage of the weight before it. Percentages work the same in pounds and kilograms.

Before preparation (USDA description)	After preparation	Yield	Range	Item, page
Squash, winter, butternut, whole, raw	Flesh, raw	84%	75–88%	No. 2459, p. 110
Squash, winter, all kinds, ready to cook, seeds removed, pared or unpared	Baked	85%	77–92%	No. 2461, p. 110
Squash, winter, all kinds, ready to cook, seeds removed, pared or unpared	Boiled or steamed	89%	81–97%	No. 2462, p. 110

How much is waste

USDA’s nutrient database (SR28, NDB 11485) lists 16% of “Squash, winter, butternut, raw” as refuse: seeds, rind and trimmings.

How much to buy

At 84% (peeled, ready-to-cook squash):

Ready to use	Buy as purchased
1.00 lb (0.45 kg)	1.19 lb (0.54 kg)
5.00 lb (2.27 kg)	5.95 lb (2.70 kg)
10.0 lb (4.54 kg)	11.9 lb (5.40 kg)
25.0 lb (11.3 kg)	29.8 lb (13.5 kg)

Cost per usable pound

At 84%, the price as purchased becomes, per pound and per kilogram:

Price as purchased	Cost per usable pound
$1.00/lb ($2.20/kg)	$1.19/lb ($2.62/kg)
$1.25/lb ($2.76/kg)	$1.49/lb ($3.28/kg)
$1.50/lb ($3.31/kg)	$1.79/lb ($3.94/kg)

Example prices. Put yours in the food yield calculator.

The MiseKit app

USDA says 84% for butternut squash. What does your last case say?

Book yields are averages. Your supplier, your cutter and your spec decide the real one. Run a yield test in MiseKit and it keeps every result, flags the cases that come in under your standard and costs each cut from what you actually got.

Every test kept, by supplier and date
Short cases flagged in dollars, not just percent
Cut costs flow straight into recipe costs

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Run your own numbers

Food yield calculator, set to 84%

Good to know

Butternut gives more than other common winter squash: USDA Handbook 102 lists raw flesh at 84% for butternut, 74% for acorn and 64% for Hubbard.

FAQ

How much of a butternut squash is usable?

About 84% by weight once peeled and seeded, per the USDA Food Buying Guide and nutrient database (16% seeds, rind and trimmings).

How much butternut squash do I need for 10 lb peeled?

About 11.9 lb whole (10 ÷ 0.84).

How much cooked squash does a pound of whole butternut give?

About 0.71 lb baked (0.84 × 0.85) or 0.75 lb boiled or steamed (0.84 × 0.89), using USDA Handbook 102’s cooking yields for winter squash.

How much does cooked squash lose when pureed?

About 5%: USDA Handbook 102 keeps 95% of cooked winter squash flesh when pureed (87–98%) and 98% when mashed (96–100%).

Is pre-cut butternut squash worth it?

Compare cost per usable pound: whole squash at $1.25 a pound costs about $1.49 per pound peeled before labor, so pre-cut squash saves money only if it costs less than that plus the labor it saves.

Sources

USDA figures are averages; size, grade, trim, ripeness and cooking change them. Weigh your own main items before you cost a menu on them.

Last reviewed October 11, 2026.