Vegetable Salt Ratio Calculator
Dry salting uses salt as a percentage of the prepared vegetable weight - no added water. Enter your vegetables and a salt percentage to get exactly how much salt to weigh out.
Results
How dry salting works
Salt pulls water out of the vegetables by osmosis, creating the brine they ferment in - no added water. Weigh the vegetables after prep, add 2-3% of that weight in salt, massage, and press until the liquid rises above them. Too little salt and off-flavors win; too much and fermentation stalls.
Typical dry-salt ratios
Ranges from published recipes and extension guidance - always follow a tested recipe for long storage.
| Ferment | Salt % | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sauerkraut | 2-2.5% | Shredded green cabbage, massaged until submerged in its own brine. |
| Kimchi (napa brining) | 1.5-2.5% | Salt the leaves, rinse, then season; paste adds more salt. |
| Cucumber sticks | 3-3.5% | Crisper finish; add grape leaves or oak tannin to stay crunchy. |
| Carrot & daikon sticks | 2% | Brine forms within hours of salting. |
| Preserved lemons | 5% | Layered with pulp and juice, aged weeks to months. |
For ferments that start from a liquid brine instead, use the brine calculator, and once the jar is packed the kimchi fermentation time calculator estimates when it will be ready.
Frequently asked questions
How much salt for sauerkraut by weight?
2-2.5% of the prepared, shredded cabbage weight. For 1 kg of cabbage that is 20-25 g of salt - about 4 level teaspoons of table salt, though weighing is far more accurate than any spoon measure.
Is dry salting the same as making a brine?
No. Dry salting draws water out of the vegetables with salt and no added water - sauerkraut and kimchi work this way. A brine dissolves salt in water first, for whole pickles and olives. The percentages differ between methods; this calculator is for the dry-salt method only.
What happens if I use too much or too little salt?
Below about 1.5%, unwanted bacteria and softening enzymes win and the batch can spoil. Above roughly 5% for most vegetables, fermentation stalls and the batch stays raw-tasting. Salt is the main safety lever in dry-salted ferments - measure it.
Can I use iodized table salt?
It works, but iodine is widely believed to slow fermentation or discolor vegetables, so non-iodized salt is the conventional choice. The bigger practical problem is brand: a teaspoon of one kosher salt can weigh half as much as another, so weigh when you can.