Food & cooking · Pickling
Pickle brine ratio calculator.
Scale the tested NCHFP dill pickle brine to your cucumbers, then compare your own vinegar to water split with it and with the 5% vinegar rule.
Inputs
Brine for your batch
Enter the pounds of cucumbers.
What is the right ratio of vinegar to water for pickles?
There is no single ratio. The USDA-funded National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) publishes tested recipes, and each fixes its own proportions for its own produce:
| NCHFP recipe | Vinegar (5%) | Water | Vinegar share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick fresh-pack dill pickles | 6 cups | 8 cups | 43% |
| Bread-and-butter pickles | 4 cups | none | 100% |
| Dilled beans | 4 cups | 4 cups | 50% |
| Pickled beets | 4 cups | 2 cups | 67% |
| Pickled bell peppers | 3 cups | 3 cups | 50% |
| Pickled carrots | 5 1/2 cups | 1 cup | 85% |
The quick fresh-pack dill brine is 1-1/2 quarts of vinegar to 2 quarts of water, a 3:4 split, or 43% vinegar. With 5% vinegar that leaves about 2.1% acetic acid in the finished solution (5% x 3/7, our arithmetic). The same recipe also soaks the cucumbers for 12 hours in 3/4 cup of salt in 2 gallons of water before draining, and adds 1/2 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar to the vinegar solution.
The rules NCHFP states. White distilled and cider vinegars of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) are recommended. Do not alter vinegar, food or water proportions in a recipe, or use a vinegar with unknown acidity, because a minimum uniform level of acid is needed to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. This tool therefore scales only the one tested brine and compares your own split; it does not approve other ratios.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ratio of vinegar to water for pickles?
It depends on the recipe. NCHFP quick dill pickles use 1-1/2 quarts vinegar to 2 quarts water (3:4), dilled beans and bell peppers use equal parts, pickled beets use 4 cups vinegar to 2 cups water, and bread-and-butter pickles use no added water.
Can I use less vinegar in my pickle brine?
NCHFP says not to alter vinegar, food or water proportions in a recipe because a minimum uniform acid level is needed to prevent botulinum growth. Use a tested recipe as written.
What vinegar strength do I need?
NCHFP recommends white distilled or cider vinegar of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) and says not to use a vinegar with unknown acidity.
How much brine do I need for 8 pounds of cucumbers?
1-1/2 quarts of vinegar, 2 quarts of water, 1/2 cup of canning or pickling salt and 1/4 cup of sugar for the pickling solution, plus 3/4 cup of salt in 2 gallons of water for the 12 hour soak. It yields 7 to 9 pints.
Does this cover refrigerator or fermented pickles?
No. For fermented dill pickle brine strength see the brine percentage calculator; this page scales only the NCHFP canned quick dill brine.
Sources
Checked
- NCHFP: Quick Fresh-Pack Dill Pickles
- NCHFP: Bread-and-Butter Pickles
- NCHFP: Dilled Beans
- NCHFP: Pickled Beets
- NCHFP: Pickled Bell Peppers
- NCHFP: Pickled Carrots
- NCHFP: General Information on Fermenting
NCHFP (adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning) gives every quantity and the vinegar rules. The vinegar share and acidity percentages are arithmetic on those quantities. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Scope
This tool scales one tested recipe and compares ratios. It is not a safety clearance for any recipe you create; for canning, follow a tested recipe exactly. Food safety guidance, not professional advice. If you are pregnant, immunocompromised, elderly or cooking for young children, follow the stricter advice of your health professional.