Food & cooking · Fermenting
Sauerkraut salt calculator.
Enter the weight of your cabbage and a salt percentage to get the grams of salt, with the 1.5% to 2.5% range from University of Vermont Extension.
Inputs
Salt to add
Enter the cabbage weight.
How much salt do you need for sauerkraut?
Salt for sauerkraut is a percentage of the cabbage weight: grams of salt = grams of cabbage x percent / 100. University of Vermont Extension puts the correct proportion at 1.5% to 2.5% salt to cabbage and works the example 800 g of cabbage x 0.02 = 16 g of salt. So 1 kg of cabbage at 2% takes 20 g, and 5 lb (2,268 g) takes about 45 g.
What NCHFP says. The USDA-funded National Center for Home Food Preservation gives salt by volume, not as a percentage: 3/4 cup of canning or pickling salt for 25 lb of cabbage in the ingredient list, and "3 tablespoons of salt" for each batch of about 5 lb in the method. At 18 g per tablespoon of table salt those work out to roughly 1.9% and 2.4%. Those percentages are our arithmetic, not NCHFP figures, and canning salt may weigh differently per spoon, which is why weighing beats scooping. If the cabbage juice does not cover the kraut, NCHFP says to top up with brine at 1-1/2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water.
Do not cut back. NCHFP: "Do not attempt to make sauerkraut or fermented pickles by cutting back on the salt required." Use canning or pickling salt; NCHFP says iodized and non-iodized table salt are both safe but additives can cloud the brine, and flake salt varies in density and is not recommended.
Frequently asked questions
How much salt do I need per kilogram of cabbage?
At 2%, 20 g of salt per kilogram of cabbage. University of Vermont Extension gives a range of 1.5% (15 g per kg) to 2.5% (25 g per kg).
How much salt for 5 lb of cabbage?
5 lb is about 2,268 g, so 2% is about 45 g. NCHFP says 3 tablespoons per batch of about 5 lb, which is about 54 g at 18 g per tablespoon of table salt (about 2.4%).
Can I make sauerkraut with less salt?
NCHFP says not to cut back on the salt, and University of Vermont Extension says too little salt can allow pathogens to develop while too much inhibits fermentation. Stay within 1.5% to 2.5%.
What is the kimchi salt ratio?
None of the sources cited here publishes a kimchi salt ratio, so this tool does not set one. The 1.5% to 2.5% range is University of Vermont Extension guidance for sauerkraut cabbage and should not be assumed to apply to kimchi.
How much salt for fermenting vegetables other than cabbage?
The 1.5% to 2.5% range applies to cabbage in the source cited. For other vegetables follow a tested recipe: NCHFP gives a fermented dill pickle brine, converted to a percentage in our brine percentage calculator.
What kind of salt should I use?
NCHFP recommends canning or pickling salt. University of Vermont Extension advises avoiding salts with added ingredients because they can inhibit fermentation.
Sources
Checked
- University of Vermont Extension: Sauerkraut DIY, Fabulous Fermented Food (Joyce Amsden, 11 Aug 2021)
- NCHFP: Sauerkraut (National Center for Home Food Preservation)
- NCHFP: General Information on Fermenting
- NCHFP: Salts Used in Pickling
- King Arthur Baking: Ingredient Weight Chart (salt by volume)
University of Vermont Extension gives the 1.5% to 2.5% range and the 800 g example. NCHFP gives the volumes and the do-not-cut-back rule. Percentages derived from volumes assume table salt at 18 g per tablespoon and are approximate. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Scope
This tool does the arithmetic for salt weight. It does not certify any recipe, and fermentation still needs clean equipment, the vegetables kept under the brine and a finished pH of 4.6 or lower, the USDA figure quoted by University of Vermont Extension. 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.