Brine calculator
Classic pickling brine — salt computed from the water weight and the brine strength you choose.
Salt as a percentage of the water weight — the classic pickling brine (cucumbers ~2–3%).
The classic pickling brine: salt as a percentage of the water weight. The standard for cucumbers is 2–3% — enter the water amount and concentration, and the calculator gives the exact salt weight.
How it works
Percent of the water
In this method concentration is computed from water alone: 2% of 1000 g of water is 20 g of salt. Vegetables dilute the brine as they ferment — which is why firm, watery vegetables usually get 2.5–3%.
Which salt
Non-iodized rock or sea salt without anti-caking agents — iodine and additives can disturb fermentation and cloud the brine. Always weigh; a spoon of fine salt and of coarse salt are very different amounts.
Setting it up
Dissolve the salt in cold or lukewarm water (boiled and cooled if your tap water is heavily chlorinated). Keep the vegetables fully submerged — a weight, such as a smaller jar of water, holds them under.
FAQ
What percentage for cucumbers?
2–2.5% for half-sours, around 3% for full sours meant to keep. The warmer the room, the faster the fermentation — aim toward the top of the range.
Tap water or boiled?
If your tap water is heavily chlorinated, boil and cool it, or let it stand for a few hours — chlorine slows the lactic acid bacteria down.
My brine went cloudy — is that bad?
Cloudiness and sediment are the normal byproduct of lactic fermentation. What should worry you is surface mold or a rotten smell — not haze.