Fermentation Salt Calculator for exact brine and dry-salt percentages
Compute salt for brines or dry-salting
Fermentation salt calculator: quick guide and presets
This fermentation salt calculator for exact brine and dry-salt percentages helps you measure salt by weight, which is far more reliable than scooping with spoons. For brines, the percentage refers to the fraction of salt relative to the water only. For dry-salted ferments like sauerkraut or kimchi, the percentage refers to salt relative to the vegetable weight.
Use the presets when you want a fast starting point: 3% is common for quick pickles stored cold; 5% makes firmer, saltier pickles; 2.5% is a popular range for kraut and kimchi. You can type any percentage if your recipe calls for something different. Always measure salt by mass because crystal size varies widely among brands.
- Brine by water volume: Enter liters (metric) or gallons (imperial). The tool assumes water density of 1 g/ml.
- Brine by water weight: Enter water mass directly (grams or ounces/pounds).
- Dry-salt vegetables: Enter the vegetable mass (without water added). Salt equals percentage × vegetable weight.
After you calculate, the result appears in your selected system—grams for metric; ounces (and pounds when helpful) for imperial—so you can weigh it out immediately. If your jar size is unusual, adjust volume or weight and recalc. For multi-jar batches, multiply the volume or weight by the number of jars and compute once.
How the brine and dry-salt math works
The core idea is simple: salt needed equals total mass × percentage. For brine by volume, total mass is the mass of the water. One liter of water weighs about 1000 g; one US gallon weighs about 3785 g. For a 3% brine at 1 L, salt is 1000 × 0.03 = 30 g. For dry-salt, if you have 2 kg cabbage at 2.5%, salt is 2000 × 0.025 = 50 g. The calculator does these conversions and formats results neatly in your chosen unit system.
Because salt crystal sizes differ, a tablespoon of kosher salt from one brand can weigh much less than from another. That’s why this tool sticks to weight. If you must convert to spoons, weigh your own brand once to learn the weight per tablespoon, then keep a note for future batches.
Common fermentation salt questions
Should I include vegetable weight when making a brine?
No. Brine percentage is based on water only. Vegetables are covered by the brine; their weight is not part of the salt calculation.
Can I use sea salt, kosher salt, or pickling salt?
Yes. Any non-iodized salt works. The mass is what matters; weigh it rather than using spoons.
My pickles are too soft. Increase salt?
Firmer pickles often use 4–5% brine. Also keep temperatures cool, use fresh produce, and trim blossom ends.