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CULINARY CULINARYA chef ’s routine includes simple to

MATH complex math calculations.
MATH, Examples include counting
SCIENCE & portions, increasing a recipe yield,
RATIOS determining a ratio for preparing a
stock, calculating a plate cost, or
C U L I N A R Y M AT H
( / C U L I N A R Y- M AT H / ) establishing a food and labor
budget. Culinary math begins with
C A L C U L AT I N G F O O D
C O S T ( / C A L C U L AT I N G - the basics of addition, subtraction,
FOOD-COST/) multiplication and division along
C U L I N A R Y R AT I O S with ratios, yields and percentages.
( / C U L I N A R Y- R AT I O S / ) Ingredients must be measured and
CULINARY SCIENCE
scaled accurately, food production
( / C U L I N A R Y- S C I E N C E / ) quantities are calculated, and
S A N I TAT I O N
recipes are increased or decreased to
( / S A N I TAT I O N / ) scale based on demand. Math is
FOOD BORNE
used for portion control, to
PAT H O G E N S ( / F O O D - maintain consistency in
B O R N E - PAT H O G E N S / ) production, and to compute food
INGREDIENTS cost. Mastering math leads to better
results in the kitchen through
INGREDIENTS
(/INGREDIENTS/) results in the kitchen through
accuracy and consistency.

US AND METRIC
M E AS U R E M E N T S YS T E M S
The US measurement system is
based on ounces and pounds for
weight, and cups, quarts and
gallons for volume measurement.
While length is measured in inches,
feet, and miles, temperatures are
scaled according to the Fahrenheit
system using 32° as the freezing
point for water and 212° as its
boiling point.

However, most of the world uses

the metric system that measures
quantities for weight, volume and
length in multiples of 10, 100 or
1000. Volume is based on liters and
milliliters, weight is measured in
grams and kilograms, and length is
measured in millimeters and
meters. Temperatures are calculated
using Celsius which is based on 0-
100° representing the freezing point
and boiling point of water
respectively.

When precision is important

accuracy in temperature and
ingredient scaling require precise
calculations using metric
measurement. While the merits of
metric versus US measurements can
be debated, whatever system is used
should be memorized for ease in
kitchen calculations.

Culinar y Math Pointers

Culinar y Math Pointers

Learn the universal

abbreviations for
measurements.
Be familiar with common
conversions between cups,
pints, quarts and gallons.
Memorize how many ounces in
a pound, half pound, quarter
pound.
Understand the difference
between dry measure and
liquid measure.
Master basic conversions
between weight and volume
for select ingredients (liquids,
dry ingredients).

Weight & Volume

Measurement
Professional kitchens commonly use
weight as a measure for dry
ingredients and volume
measurement for liquids. Recipes
geared towards home cooks use
volume to measure both.

Volume is not the same as weight

and can have wildly varying results.
Volume works quite well for
liquids, like water or milk, but can
be less predictable for dry
ingredients (a cup of flour weighs
anywhere from 4-5 ounces). It
should be noted that all liquids do
not weigh the same (oil weighs less
than water).

Weight is absolute and for that

reason measuring by weight is a
more reliable method. Professional
bakers and pastry chefs use weight
 bakers and pastry chefs use weight
to measure most everything
including flour, sugar, eggs, and
liquids (water, milk, oil).

More and more chefs rely on weight

for measurement today than ever
before. Many US chefs now use
metrics because of better accuracy
when measuring small quantities of
additives used in molecular
cooking. In a professional kitchen
weight should be standard practice.

Standardized Recipes

Most kitchens use recipes to a certain extent,

some more than others. Standardized recipes are
important to foodservice operations because they
provide consistency and uniformity. These
recipes are usually developed, and food costs are
calculated by the chef or culinary team, to suit
the needs of the operation and to determine
selling prices. Standardized recipes include yield,
portion size, ingredients, portion cost, and menu
price.

Recipe Conversion
Recipes often need to be increased or decreased
in quantity for a specific production
requirement. There are ways to increase a recipe
requirement. There are ways to increase a recipe
by simple multiples, double or triple for example
or to decrease a recipe by dividing in half. When
a recipe needs to be converted into an odd size
like an increase of 40% or a decrease of 20%, it
is better to determine a Recipe Conversion
Factor (RCF).

Recipe Conversion Terminology

Although ingredients can be purchased for use in

portion control applications, most ingredients
need some processing and therefore require
terminology to express their state of process.
Fresh produce and meats are often referred to as-
purchased (AP) or as-purchased quantity (APQ).
Once trimmed or processed the product is
referred to as the edible portion (EP) or edible
portion quantity (EPQ). Learn to recognize these
abbreviations and use them when calculating
production needs or food costs.

Measurement Conversion

Measurements often need converting back and

forth from larger units to smaller ones when
scaling recipes or when determining purchase
quantities based on edible portion size.
Remember it is easier working with smaller units
than larger units.
than larger units.

Converting to Smaller Units

Multiply Pounds by 16 to get total ounces

Example: 3 Lb. X 16 oz. = 48 oz.

Multiply Quarts by 32 to get total fluid

ounces

Example: 2 Qt. x 32 oz. = 64 oz.

Multiply Cups by 8 to get total fluid ounces

in a cup

Example: 3 cups X 8 oz. = 24 fl. oz.

Multiply Cups by 16 to get total tablespoons

dry weight

Example: 2 cups X 16 Tb. = 32 Tb.

Multiply Gallons by 4 quarts -

Example: 5 G X 4 Qt. = 20 Qt.

Converting to Larger Units

Divide ounces by 16 to get total pounds

Example: 56 oz./ 16 ounces = 3 Lb. 8 oz.

Divide fluid ounces by 32 to get fluid quarts

Example: 16 Qt./4 = 4 quarts

Divided dry tablespoons by 16 to get total

cups

Example: 20 Tb./16 = 1 ¼ C

AS-PURCHASED AND EDIBLE

PORTION QUANTITY
Buying minimally processed fresh produce,
meats, fish and seafood often requires trimming,
fabricating, and portioning food. Foods
purchased in this state are often called the As-
Purchased (AP) or As-Purchased Quantity
(APQ). Because the yield will vary on food
items, a reference guide such as The Book of
Yields is a great tool to assist in purchasing
decisions. In-house yield tests should be done
because products will vary depending on their
size, quality, the type of crop, the growing
season, and regional differences. If you are
purchasing locally sourced food, uniformity is
even less predictable, so conducting edible
portion yield tests is a good idea.

Once a product is cleaned, trimmed and

portioned it is called the Edible Portion (EP) or
Edible Portion Quantity (EPQ). The EP is
important because it reflects the true quantity
needed and the true cost of the food.

Calculating Edible Portion (EP)

Edible portion is the

yield after the product
is trimmed for use.
Begin by weighing the
product before
cleaning. Trim,
fabricate and portion
the product. Weigh
the edible portion and
divide it by the AP weight. This will give you a
percentage.

Formula
EP weight/AP weight = EP percentage (%)

Example
Green Beans – 4 Lb. EP/5 Lb. AP = 80% EP
Yield.
Yield.

Calculating the AP Quantity Based on

EP Percentage

Food purchasing often requires AP calculations

based on EP yield. If 80 - 4 oz. portions are
desired with a product yield of 70% the formula
would look like this:

Formula Example

EPQ/Yield Percentage = APQ.

Portion Size X Number of Portions = Total

EPQ needed.

4 oz. portions X 80 portions = 320 oz.

320 oz. / 16 oz. (amount in 1 Lb.) = 20 Lb.

20 Lb. /.70 (70%) = 28.6 Lb.

Round up to 30 Lb.

Trim & Waste

All food operations have waste and trim that
must be factored into the cost of doing
business. Wasting resources, whether they are
food, labor, or utilities, wipes out profit and,
along with theft, is a major reason why food
operations fail. The job of a good chef is to
manage resources and minimize waste by
monitoring usage and keeping detailed
records.

Useable trim has a value to a foodservice

operation. A creative chef finds ways to use
trim and leftovers. Using trim and leftovers
adds to the bottom line. Reducing waste and
repurposing leftovers also saves by lowering
costs for waste removal.
 Vegetable trim can be used in stocks
Meat scraps can be used in ground meats or
for stock preparation
Oil and fat can be recycled
Compost unusable vegetable trimmings

Butcher’s Yield Test

A Butcher’s Yield test is used to determine

portion cost, edible trim, and yield percentage.
Testing is done to ensure costs are in line with
recipe prices and to determine if yields are cost
effective. A butcher’s test is important for new
menu items or to calculate a replacement for a
specific menu item. A butcher’s yield can also be
used when comparing similar products from
different vendors.
414-460-2670 I N F O @ T H E C U L I N A R Y P R O . C O M ( M A I LT O : I N F O @ T H E C U L I N A R Y P R O . C O M )