Weights and Measures for Horticultural Crops
This NebGuide lists the most common units of sale used for selling vegetables and fruits through direct marketing outlets.
Laurie Hodges, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Growers raising horticultural crops in Nebraska sell part of their crop through direct marketing outlets such as pick-your-own farms, roadside stands, and farmers’ markets. Produce sold through these marketing outlets is usually sold by one of the following: 1) number or count (a single tomato or fruit or a dozen ears of sweet corn); 2) weight (one pound of snap beans); or 3) volume (bushel, lug, carton, crate, or quart).
The following table has been developed to assist in selling horticultural crops for direct markting to consumers. It lists the most common units of retail sales and the weight of these units where applicable. Only the basic units are listed because many different sizes of containers are available for retail selling. Thus, these are only guidelines. Because of the variation in produce and containers, some of the unit weights are average and all are approximations only. State regulations regarding the sale of products by weight and scale inspections are available through the Division of Weights and Measures, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 94757, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509-4757.
Commercial growers, selling vegetables and fruits wholesale, should consult one of the following sources for weights and measures: http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/postharv/ag-414-8/index.html or http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/mf979.pdf.
Crop |
Common Units of Sale |
Approximate Weight (pounds) |
Yield* |
VEGETABLES |
|||
| Artichoke, Jerusalem | (sold by the pound) bushel | 48 | |
| Asparagus | (sold in bunches, weighing
1/2 to 2 pounds) bushel 3-quart basket crate |
45 |
1 to 1 1/2 lb = 1 pt. frozen
|
| Beans, snap, green, wax | bushel | 28 to 30 | 1 bu. = 30 to 45 pt. frozen
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 lb. = 1 qt. canned |
| Beans, dry edible | bushel | 60 | |
| Beans, lima dry | bushel | 56 | |
| Beans, lima pod | bushel | 32 | 1 bu. = 12 to 16 pt. frozen
3 to 5 lb. = 1 qt. canned |
| Beets, (without tops) | (sold in 2 lb. bunches
with leaves) bushel |
50 to 56 | 1 bu. = 35 to 42 pt. frozen
2 to 3 1/2 lb. = 1 qt. canned |
| Broccoli | (sold by head or bunch)
crate or bushel |
23 to 25 |
1 lb. = 1 pt. frozen
|
| Brussel sprouts | quart | 1 1/2 | 1 qt. = 1 1/2 pt. frozen |
| Cabbage | (often sold by the head)
crate |
50 | 3 lb. = 1 qt. canned sauerkraut
1 lb. = 4 cups shredded |
| Carrot (without tops) | (sold in 1 lb. bunches
with tops) bushel |
50 | 1 bu. = 32 to 40 pt. frozen
2 to 3 lb. = 1 qt. canned |
| Cauliflower | (sold as a head)
bushel, topped |
50 | 1 head = 1 1/2 pt. frozen or 3/4 qt. canned |
| Celery | (sold as a bunch) crate | 60 | |
| Chard, swiss | (sold as a bunch) | ||
| Cucumbers | (slicers sold by count)
bushel |
48 to 50 | 1 bu. = 24 qt. of dill pickles |
| Eggplant | (sold by count) bushel | 33 to 35 | 1 qt. canned or 2 pt. frozen |
| Garlic | (sold by bunch or pound) | ||
| Gourds | (sold by count) | ||
| Horseradish | (sold by bag, 2 to 4 lb.)
bushel |
50 | |
| Kale | (sold in 1 to 1 1/2 lb.
bunches) bushel |
18 | |
| Kohlrabi | (sold by count) | ||
| Lettuce | (sold as bunch or head)
carton, 2 dozen |
||
| Muskmelon | (sold by count) bushel | 48 | |
| Okra | bushel | 26 to 30 | 1 bu. = 34 to 40 pt. frozen,
17 qt. canned |
| Onions | (often sold by count)
bushel sack |
57 50 |
|
| Onions, green bunching | bunch | 1/3 to 1/2 lb. | |
| Parsnips | bushel | 48 | |
| Peanuts | bushel | 22 | |
| Peas, edible pods | peck | 8 to 10 | |
| Peas, unshelled green | bushel | 28 to 30 | 1 bu. = 12 to 15 pt. frozen
3 to 6 lb. = 1 qt. canned |
| Pepper, sweet bell | (sold by count) bushel | 25 to 30 | |
| Pepper, hot | (sold as a bag) | 1/2 to 5 lbs. | |
| Popcorn, ear | bushel | 70 | |
| Popcorn, shelled | (sold in 2 to 5 lb. bags)
bushel |
56 | |
| Potatoes | (sold in 5 to 10 lb. bags)
bushel |
50 | |
| Radish | (sold in 1/2 to 3/4 lb.
bunches or by count) bushel |
56 | |
| Rhubarb | bunch | 2 to 2 1/2 | |
| Rutabaga | bushel | 55 | |
| Shallot | bushel bushel, 5 dozen bunches bunch, 1 dozen |
25 | |
| Spinach | (sold in 1 to 1 1/2 lb.
bunches) bushel |
18 | |
| Squash | (sold by count)
small, each medium, each large, each |
1 to 4 6 to 12 15 to 40 |
|
| Sweet, corn, husk | (sold by dozen)
bushel crate, 5 dozen |
35 to 40 | 1 dozen = 2 1/2 to 4 pt. frozen 1 dozen = 1 to 1 1/2 qt. canned |
| Sweet potatoes | bushel | 48 to 50 | 2/3 lb. = 1 pt. frozen
2 to 3 lb. = 1 qt. canned |
| Tomatoes | (sold by count) bushel | 53 | 1 bu. = 15 to 20 qt. canned |
| Turnips | bushel | 55 | 1 lb. = 2 1/2 to 3 cups diced |
| Watermelon | crate | 70 to 90 | |
FRUITS |
|||
| Apples | (volume containers
of various sizes)
bushel |
42 to 48 | 1 bu. = 15 to 18 qt. canned applesauce |
| Apricots | bushel | 50 | 1 bu. = 48 to 54 pt. frozen |
| Blackberries | quart | 1 1/2 to 1 1/2 | 1 1/2 to 3 lb. = 1 qt. canned |
| Cherries | quart bushel lug |
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 56 15 to 16 |
2 to 2 1/2 lb. = 1 qt. canned, unpitted |
| Currants | quart | 3 | |
| Gooseberries | quart | 1 3/4 to 2 | |
| Grapes, with stems | bushel lug 12-quart basket |
44 to 50 24 to 28 16 |
1 bu. = 16 qt. of juice |
| Peaches | bushel | 48 to 50 | 1 bu. = 18 to 24 qt. canned |
| Pears | bushel | 50 | 1 bu. = 20 to 25 qt. canned |
| Plums | bushel | 50 to 56 | 1 bu. = 24 to 30 qt. canned |
| Raspberries | quart | 1 1/2 | |
| Strawberries | quart crate |
1 1/2 46 |
1 lb. = 1 pt. frozen 24-quart |
| *Yield as used here indicates canning and/or freezing yield per unit. | |||
| This publication replaces G83-663, Weights and Measures for Horticulture Crops. |
Visit the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Publications Web site for more publications.
Index: Horticulture
Miscellaneous
1983, Revised September 2006
