Food & cooking · Canning
Pickling jar yield calculator.
Enter the pounds of produce you have and get the number of batches, jars and brine, using the yields of the tested NCHFP recipes.
Inputs
Batches and jars
Enter your pounds of produce.
How many jars of pickles from a pound of cucumbers?
The USDA-funded National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) states a yield for each tested recipe. This tool divides your produce by the recipe's pounds to give the number of batches and multiplies the published jars by that. Roughly, 8 lb of cucumbers fill 7 to 9 pints in the quick dill recipe, so plan on about 1 lb per pint (our reading of that range).
| NCHFP recipe | Produce | Published yield |
|---|---|---|
| Sauerkraut (fermented) | 25 lb cabbage | 9 quarts |
| Quick fresh-pack dill pickles | 8 lb pickling cucumbers | 7 to 9 pints |
| Bread-and-butter pickles | 6 lb pickling cucumbers | 8 pints |
| Dilled beans | 4 lb green or yellow beans | 8 pints |
| Pickled carrots | 3.5 lb carrots (as purchased) | 4 pints |
| Pickled beets | 7 lb beets | 8 pints |
| Pickled bell peppers | 7 lb bell peppers | 9 pints |
Why whole batches. NCHFP says not to alter vinegar, food or water proportions in a recipe. Brine quantities are shown for whole batches of the published recipe so the proportions stay as tested. Extra produce that does not make a whole batch is better saved for another day than stretched across a brine made for less. The recipes list their own extras such as dill, garlic, spices and (for bread-and-butter pickles) about 3 lb of onions; see the NCHFP pages for the full lists and method.
Frequently asked questions
How many pounds of cucumbers per pint of pickles?
NCHFP quick fresh-pack dill pickles use 8 lb of cucumbers for 7 to 9 pints, so about 1 lb per pint. Bread-and-butter pickles use 6 lb of cucumbers (plus about 3 lb of onions) for about 8 pints.
How many jars of sauerkraut from 25 pounds of cabbage?
NCHFP gives a yield of about 9 quarts from 25 lb of cabbage with 3/4 cup of canning or pickling salt.
How many pints from 7 pounds of beets or bell peppers?
NCHFP: about 8 pints from 7 lb of beets and about 9 pints from 7 lb of bell peppers.
Can I halve or double a canning recipe?
NCHFP says not to alter vinegar, food or water proportions in a recipe and gives no other scaling rule, so this tool works in whole batches of the published recipe.
Does the yield change with the jar size?
The published yields are in the jar size the recipe names (pints for most pickles, quarts for sauerkraut). A different jar size changes the count, and the processing time table must also support it; see the canning time calculator.
Sources
Checked
- NCHFP: Sauerkraut (National Center for Home Food Preservation)
- NCHFP: Quick Fresh-Pack Dill Pickles
- NCHFP: Bread-and-Butter Pickles
- NCHFP: Dilled Beans
- NCHFP: Pickled Beets
- NCHFP: Pickled Carrots
- NCHFP: Pickled Bell Peppers
Yields, produce weights and brine quantities are the published NCHFP figures (carrots as purchased, 3-1/2 lb, rather than peeled). Per-pound figures are our arithmetic. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Scope
Estimates of how many jars to prepare, not a canning procedure. Follow the full NCHFP recipe, jar and processing instructions. 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.