As purchased

A week ago I posted this sample question from the 1976 Mess Management Specialist 3 & 2 Rate Trailing Manual:

What does the abbreviation A.P. stand for on a recipe card?
1. As preferred
2. As purchased
3. After peeling
4. After parboiling

With many Navy multiple-choice exams, you can always rule out two answers as incorrect. The leaves two possible correct answers. You can eliminate numbers 1 and 4. "As preferred" and "After parboiling" don't make any sense to the trained cook. If you selected number 3, "After peeling," you're on the right track.

In a recipe, the notation "A.P." (for "as purchased") signifies that the ingredient is to be weighted in its purchase state. This means the ingredient is weighted before parring, peeling or trimming. Once the waste portion has been removed from the ingredient, the resulting part is called "Edible portion" (or "E.P.").

The correct answer is number 2, "as purchased."