Salted Cod Yield Guide: From Dry Weight to Plate Cost

Salted cod is one of the few ingredients that gains weight before it reaches the plate — and buyers who don’t run the numbers leave money on the table. Here is the arithmetic we walk customers through every week.

Rule One: Rehydration Adds 20–30%

During proper desalting (24–48 h in cold water), dried salted cod absorbs water: 1 kg dry ≈ 1.20–1.30 kg desalted. That means the effective price per usable kilo is around 20% lower than the invoice price per dry kilo. Always compare quotes on a desalted-weight basis.

Rule Two: Not All Cuts Yield Alike

Whole split fish is the cheapest per kilo but includes wings, tail and thinner parts. Loins — the thick centre cut — cost more per kilo yet plate beautifully with zero trim. Bits & pieces are the value play for brandade, croquettes and shredded dishes. A professional menu usually mixes cuts: loins for the signature dish, migas for starters.

A Worked Example

Buy desalted IQF loins at, say, X €/kg: a 180 g portion costs 0.18 × X with no labour, no yield loss and no desalting risk. Buy dry salted at Y €/kg: the desalted cost is roughly Y ÷ 1.25 per kg, plus 48 h of tank space, water and handling. Run both numbers — the right answer depends on your volume and kitchen.

Specify, Then Scale

Mar Lusitano supplies both routes: desalted ready-to-cook cod and wet salted cod in consistent calibres. More in the complete guide.