A numbers-first, step-by-step way to calculate realistic 2026 yields and FOB Surabaya costs for Indonesian IQF edamame kernels. Includes shelling recovery benchmarks, blanching loss, 10% glaze math, pack-out assumptions, energy and labor ranges, and a worked example you can copy today.
If you buy or sell IQF edamame kernels, you already know this. Margin is hiding in the yield sheet. And in 2026, with tighter specs and buyers pushing for net weights without glaze, the processors who win are the ones who model the full conversion from raw pods to FOB Surabaya with discipline.
We’ve run Indonesian edamame through every scenario you can imagine. Below is the simple, reliable way we build yield and cost. Copy it, then tune the two or three levers that actually move your FOB price.
The baseline Indonesian edamame yield numbers we use in 2026
In our experience, the fastest way to sanity-check any quote is to anchor on three numbers: pod-to-kernel, sorting loss, and glaze.
What’s a realistic pod-to-kernel yield in 2026?
For East Java edamame cultivars harvested for kernel production, a realistic net IQF kernel yield from raw pods lands at 28.5–31.5%. The center of that range is about 30% for well-run lines in peak season. That already accounts for blanching before shelling, mechanical shelling efficiency, and typical dehydration during IQF.
A few notes from recent runs:
- Size grading pods before blanching often adds 1–2 percentage points to shelling recovery because shellers are more efficient on uniform pods.
- Over-mature pods can show nice shelling recovery but hurt texture and drip loss on thaw. We’d rather hit 30% with spec-compliant bite than 32% with mealy kernels.
How much weight do you really lose in blanching and shelling?
When pods are blanched then shelled, here’s what we typically see as a share of the incoming raw pods:
- Receiving and pre-wash rejects: 2–4%
- Shelling recovery to green kernels (pre-sort): 31–34%
- Kernel defects after optical/manual sort: 3–5% of kernels
- IQF dehydration and transfer loss: 0.5–1.0% of kernels
Net result is why we guide buyers to 28.5–31.5% net kernels per 100 kg raw pods.
What about 10% glaze. Do I include it in cost and net weight?
Most international specs require net weight excluding glaze. Glaze is protective ice, not edible solids, so it’s not part of the declared net. That said, the water, chilling, and freezing energy to apply glaze are very real costs. We price them in, but we never count glaze as product weight in the net yield.
Quick math you can use:
- Target 10% glaze means net is 90% of the glazed gross. If you need 10.00 kg net per carton, you’ll ship about 11.11 kg glazed gross.
- For costing, add a small energy and handling cost for glazing, typically 0.01–0.02 USD per net kg.
If your customer insists on pricing by glazed weight, convert everything back to net to protect your margin.
A step-by-step yield sheet you can copy today
Here’s a worked example for 1,000 kg of raw edamame pods. Use the same structure in your spreadsheet and swap in your plant’s actuals.
- Raw pods received: 1,000.0 kg
- Receiving rejects at 3%: 30.0 kg. Processable pods: 970.0 kg
- Shelling recovery to kernels at 32% of processable pods: 310.4 kg
- Kernel defects at 4% after sort: 12.4 kg. Good kernels pre-IQF: 298.0 kg
- IQF dehydration and transfer loss at 1%: 3.0 kg. Net IQF kernels: 295.0 kg
- Apply 10% glaze. Glazed gross = 295.0 / 0.90 = 327.8 kg
Takeaway: From 1,000 kg raw pods you ship 295.0 kg net kernels, or 327.8 kg glazed gross at 10% glaze. Your net yield is 29.5%.
Pro tip. Track both “true net kernels” and “glazed gross.” Teams often celebrate higher “output” when glaze creeps up, then wonder why margin shrank. Calibrate glaze daily.
If you need our editable yield template with the above logic, and space for size grades and rework loops, just ask and we’ll share a copy. Need help tailoring it to your specs? You can Contact us on whatsapp.
Building an FOB Surabaya cost per kg that holds up in negotiations
Now turn yield into money. Below is a 2026-style cost build for 500 g retail pillow bags packed 20 x 500 g per master carton. Use it as a guide, not gospel.
Assumptions
- Raw pods cost delivered to plant: 0.68 USD/kg (farm + inbound)
- Net yield: 29.5% (from example above)
- Labor: semi-automatic shelling with manual trimming and QC tables
- Energy: ammonia refrigeration, plate or spiral IQF, hot-water blanch
Worked cost per net kg of kernels (rounded)
- Raw material. 1,000 kg x 0.68 = 680 USD over 295 kg net → 2.31 USD/kg
- Labor. Sorting, shelling helpers, packing crew → 0.14 USD/kg
- Energy. Blanching heat + IQF + cold store → 0.10 USD/kg
- Packaging. 500 g printed bag ~0.035 USD each, master carton ~0.90 USD. At 2 bags/kg and 0.1 carton/kg, plus liners and tape → 0.18 USD/kg
- Water and chemicals. Wash, blanch makeup, sanitation → 0.02 USD/kg
- QC, metal detection, micro testing allowance → 0.01 USD/kg
- Maintenance and depreciation. Shellers, IQF, compressors → 0.06 USD/kg
- Plant overhead. Admin, utilities not in energy, waste → 0.05 USD/kg
- Glazing energy and handling. Additional freeze load → 0.02 USD/kg
- Export and port costs to FOB Surabaya. Cartage, docs, THC → 0.06 USD/kg
Indicative FOB Surabaya. 2.31 + 0.14 + 0.10 + 0.18 + 0.02 + 0.01 + 0.06 + 0.05 + 0.02 + 0.06 = 2.95 USD/kg net kernels, packed as 500 g bags.
Sensitivity that actually matters
- Each 1 percentage point change in shelling recovery moves raw cost about 0.07–0.08 USD/kg at these inputs. If your recovery slips from 32% to 31%, expect around +0.08 USD/kg on FOB.
- Giveaway at packing hurts more than you think. Dropping bag giveaway from 1.0% to 0.2% can save ~0.02 USD/kg. We’ve watched that single fix fund a new checkweigher in one season.
Pack-out, defects, and drip loss. What to model and why
What pack-out and defect rates should you assume?
- Pre-process rejects. 2–4% for mud, stalks, off-grade pods.
- Kernel defects at sort. 3–5% of kernels for immature, stained seed coat, or broken halves. Weekly sheller calibration keeps broken rate below 4%.
- Pack-out for 500 g bags. Plan 0.2–0.5% giveaway if you’re running a competent in-motion checkweigher. Above 1% is a red flag.
How does drip loss affect customer yield and price?
- Expected drip loss during thaw for kernels is 0.5–1.5% under normal cold-chain. Over-blanch or long dwell in temperate docks can push it higher.
- Buyers judge you on “bite” after cooking. If you chase recovery by softening the blanch, you may pass the lab but fail the pan test. We bias toward slightly firmer kernels that hold color and texture in hot kitchens.
Takeaway. Put a real number for drip loss in your spec dialogue and cost model. It keeps conversations honest and reduces claims.
Energy and labor assumptions that make sense in Indonesia right now
We recommend modeling energy and labor as ranges, then closing the loop with your metered data monthly.
- Energy. 0.15–0.22 kWh per net kg for freezing and storage plus heat load for glazing, plus thermal energy for blanch makeup. At mainstream Indonesian tariffs, this nets around 0.08–0.12 USD/kg. Plants that added heat recovery on blanch overflow and VFDs on IQF fans in the past six months are consistently hitting the low end.
- Labor. Semi-automatic lines with optical sorters typically sit at 8–12 labor-hours per net MT of kernels for shelling, trimming, packing, and QA. With 2026 wage trends, 0.10–0.18 USD/kg is a fair planning range.
Takeaway. If your energy line item is above 0.12 USD/kg, look at dewatering before IQF and glaze control. If labor is above 0.18 USD/kg, your manual inspection density is too high or your sheller settings are creating rework.
Common mistakes we still see, and how to avoid them fast
- Counting glaze as yield. Glaze is protection. Count the cost, never the weight. Audit glaze at start and mid-shift.
- Skipping pre-grade. Running mixed pod sizes through one sheller setting inflates brokens and defects. Pre-grade to narrow the distribution. It pays back within a week.
- Loose sheller calibration. A tighter gap might look good on recovery but quietly increases split seeds and sort rejects. We calibrate weekly with a simple go/no-go feeler routine.
- Ignoring line moisture before IQF. A 30–60 second dewatering conveyor or air-knife ahead of the freezer consistently cuts ammonia load 7–10% per kg.
What this advice covers, and when to adjust
This guide is for factory yield and FOB costing on shelled IQF edamame kernels shipping out of Surabaya. It doesn’t cover farm agronomy, retail pricing, or landed cost and duties. If you’re packing bulk 10 kg poly in cartons instead of 500 g retail, shift more cost from packaging to port handling, but the yield math stays the same.
If you need our spec and typical performance for Indonesian kernels, see our Premium Frozen Edamame. And if you want us to pressure-test your numbers against current Indonesian realities, send your draft sheet and we’ll mark it up with honest deltas.
Questions about your project or a quote you’re building this week? Contact us on whatsapp. Or, if you’re browsing options, you can also View our products.
