Celery Yield: Trimmed, Ready-to-Use and Cooked
The USDA Food Buying Guide lists 0.83 lb of ready-to-use celery per pound purchased, for celery sold trimmed, and its nutrient database puts the waste on raw celery at 11% for roots and trimmings. Cooked, a pound gives about 0.74 lb.
USDA yields for celery
From the USDA Food Buying Guide: how much ready-to-use or cooked product one pound as purchased gives.
How much is waste
USDA’s nutrient database (SR28, NDB 11143) lists 11% of “Celery, raw” as refuse: roots and trimmings.
How much to buy
At 83% (ready-to-use celery):
| Ready to use | Buy as purchased |
|---|---|
| 1.00 lb | 1.20 lb |
| 5.00 lb | 6.02 lb |
| 10.0 lb | 12.0 lb |
| 25.0 lb | 30.1 lb |
Cost per usable pound
At 83%, the price per pound as purchased becomes:
| Price as purchased | Cost per usable pound |
|---|---|
| $1.00/lb | $1.20/lb |
| $1.25/lb | $1.51/lb |
| $1.50/lb | $1.81/lb |
Example prices. Put yours in the food yield calculator.
Run your own numbers
Good to know
- The Food Buying Guide lists the purchase form as "trimmed" without defining it; an untrimmed bunch with leaves may yield less.
FAQ
How much of a celery bunch is usable?
About 83–89%: the USDA Food Buying Guide gives 0.83 lb ready to use per pound of trimmed celery, and USDA’s nutrient database lists 11% of raw celery as roots and trimmings.
How much celery do I need for 4 lb diced?
About 4.8 lb, using the Food Buying Guide figure (4 ÷ 0.83).
How much does celery cook down?
A pound gives about 0.74 lb of cooked celery, per the USDA Food Buying Guide.
Sources
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (yield tables; public domain)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (refuse)
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.