Sauerkraut Salt Ratio: How Much Salt, 2% by Weight

Salt by cabbage weight

Weigh the cabbage after trimming, coring, and shredding, then multiply by 0.02 (2%) or 0.025 (2.5%). The spoon columns are a check, not a measure: a tablespoon of Diamond Crystal is 8.4 g and a tablespoon of pickling salt 18 g.

Cabbage	Salt	Grams	Pickling salt	Morton kosher	Diamond Crystal	Fine sea salt
500 g	2%	10 g	1 3/4 tsp	2 tsp	3 1/2 tsp	1 3/4 tsp
500 g	2.5%	12.5 g	2 tsp	2 1/2 tsp	4 1/2 tsp	2 tsp
1 kg	2%	20 g	3 1/4 tsp	4 1/4 tsp	2 1/2 tbsp	3 1/4 tsp
1 kg	2.5%	25 g	4 1/4 tsp	1 1/2 tbsp	3 tbsp	4 1/4 tsp
2 kg	2%	40 g	2 tbsp	3 tbsp	5 tbsp	2 tbsp
2 kg	2.5%	50 g	3 tbsp	3 1/2 tbsp	6 tbsp	3 tbsp
5 kg	2%	100 g	5 1/2 tbsp	7 tbsp	12 tbsp	5 1/2 tbsp
5 kg	2.5%	125 g	7 tbsp	8 1/2 tbsp	15 tbsp	7 tbsp
1 lb	2%	9.1 g	1 1/2 tsp	2 tsp	3 1/4 tsp	1 1/2 tsp
1 lb	2.5%	11.3 g	2 tsp	2 1/4 tsp	4 tsp	2 tsp
2 lb	2%	18.1 g	3 tsp	3 3/4 tsp	2 tbsp	3 tsp
2 lb	2.5%	22.7 g	3 3/4 tsp	1 1/2 tbsp	2 1/2 tbsp	3 3/4 tsp
5 lb	2%	45.4 g	2 1/2 tbsp	3 tbsp	5 1/2 tbsp	2 1/2 tbsp
5 lb	2.5%	56.7 g	3 tbsp	4 tbsp	6 1/2 tbsp	3 tbsp

Grams are cabbage weight times the percentage; 1 lb is 453.6 g. Spoons are grams divided by density: pickling salt 6 g per teaspoon (USDA FoodData Central), Morton kosher 4.8 g (Morton label), Diamond Crystal 2.8 g (Diamond Crystal label), fine sea salt treated as pickling salt (measured, so rough). The 2 to 2.5% band is Colorado State Extension's and Clemson HGIC's. Other salts are in the calculator below and the salt conversion calculator.

Work out your batch

A reduced copy of the kimchi and sauerkraut calculator: weight, percentage, and the salt you own. The full tool adds kimchi, a brine mode for whole vegetables, the time for your room temperature, and the container size.

Shredded cabbage weight

After trimming, coring, and shredding. 50 to 50,000 g (0.1 to 110 lb).

Salt, percent of cabbage weight

2 to 2.5% is the sourced band. 1 to 5% accepted; the result flags anything outside 2 to 3%.

Salt you have

Weigh the salt if you can. The grams are what count; the spoons are a check.

Full calculator

1,000 g cabbage, 2%

20 g salt

about 3 1/4 tsp pickling salt

Rule: 2% of the cabbage weight; NCHFP's 3 tbsp per 5 lb is about 2.4%
Time: 3 to 4 weeks at 70 to 75°F, 5 to 6 weeks at 60 to 65°F (NCHFP)

Massage the salt in until the cabbage weeps, pack it under its own brine, and keep it there.

Why 2%

Three extension sources land on the same band from different directions. The National Center for Home Food Preservation's sauerkraut method is 3 tablespoons of canning or pickling salt for each 5 lb of shredded cabbage, and 3/4 cup for 25 lb. At 18 g per tablespoon the 5 lb batch is 54 g of salt in 2,268 g of cabbage, about 2.4%; the 3/4 cup figure works out to about 1.9%. Colorado State Extension skips the spoons: "weigh the cabbage and calculate 2 to 2.5% salt by weight, approximately 3 Tbsp. of salt per 5 pounds of shredded cabbage." Clemson HGIC gives the target as 2.25 to 2.5% and explains what it is for: that concentration favors the particular lactic acid bacteria that make sauerkraut taste like sauerkraut. Minnesota Extension's range for fermented vegetables is 3 tablespoons to 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon per 5 lb, 2.4 to 2.6%.

So 2% is the floor of the sourced range and 2.5% the ceiling. This site defaults to 2% because it is enough to keep the kraut crisp and the wrong bacteria out, and it is easy to hit: a kilo of cabbage, 20 g of salt. For a saltier kraut or a warm kitchen, 2.5% is inside the same guidance. Note that this percentage is salt divided by cabbage; a brine for whole vegetables is salt divided by water, which the brine percentage calculator handles.

Under 2% and over 3%

Salt does two jobs in a crock: in the first days it holds back the bacteria and yeasts that would otherwise beat the lactic acid bacteria to the sugars, and it firms the pectin in the cabbage cell walls. NCHFP: salt "favors the growth of desirable bacteria while inhibiting the growth of others," and, "Do not attempt to make sauerkraut or fermented pickles by cutting back on the salt required." Its troubleshooting page lists "salt brine too weak" first among the causes of soft or slippery ferments.

Under 2%: the kraut goes soft sooner, the brine can turn slimy, and there is less margin if the room is warm or the cabbage was old. Over 3%: the lactic acid bacteria slow down, the ferment can stall, and the kraut tastes of salt, because salt does not leave during fermentation. Colorado State's kimchi guidance tops out at 5% for the finished product; near that you are preserving with salt more than fermenting.

Which salt to use

Any plain sodium chloride, weighed. NCHFP and Clemson HGIC both say "Use canning or pickling salt," because it has nothing added; kosher and fine sea salt are also plain salt and work the same by weight. What to avoid:

Anti-caking agents. NCHFP: "Noncaking material added to other salts may make the brine cloudy." Cosmetic, but pickling salt avoids it.
Iodized salt. NCHFP lists it among the causes of dark pickles, though its salts page says fermented pickles may be safely made with iodized salt; Colorado State and Minnesota Extension say to use non-iodized salt, Minnesota because "iodine can interfere with fermentation." The 2018 sauerkraut study in the references found no meaningful effect on the lactic acid bacteria, so a batch already made with it is not lost.
Reduced-sodium salt. NCHFP: "Use of reduced-sodium salt in fermented pickle recipes is not recommended."
Flake salt by the spoon. NCHFP does not recommend it for fermented foods because its density varies. By weight it is fine.
Unrefined grey and pink salts. Celtic light grey is sold moist and is about 81% sodium chloride by its label's sodium figure; Redmond Real Salt about 96%, Himalayan pink about 97%. The calculator divides by that share; skip the step and a 2% batch with Celtic grey is really 1.6%.

Water matters only for a top-up brine. Minnesota Extension asks for soft or distilled water because "minerals in hard water can discolor produce or cause texture changes," and NCHFP names hard water as a cause of dark pickles.

How to weigh and mix

Trim and shred. Take off the outer leaves (keep one clean one for the top), quarter, core, and shred to the thickness of a quarter, about 1/16 inch, as NCHFP specifies. Fresh cabbage; old cabbage makes soft kraut.
Weigh the shreds. Bowl on the scale, zero it, add the cabbage. This is the weight the percentage applies to, not the head at the store.
Weigh the salt. Multiply by 0.02 (or 0.025) and weigh that many grams. A scale reading to 1 g is enough for a kilo of cabbage.
Mix and massage. Toss the salt through, then squeeze and knead 5 to 10 minutes until the cabbage is limp and sitting in its own liquid. NCHFP packs "firmly until salt draws juices from cabbage."
Pack and cover. Press it into the jar a handful at a time so the brine rises over it. Clemson HGIC wants the cabbage "covered by 1 to 2 inches of brine"; NCHFP wants a crock's rim 4 or 5 inches above the cabbage so a plate and weight fit. Saved leaf on top, weight, cover.

For a big batch, salt each 5 lb or so by its own weight rather than eyeballing the total; that is what NCHFP's 5 lb, 3 tablespoon step is for.

Temperature and time

Room temperature	Time	Source
Below 60°F (16°C)	may not ferment	NCHFP: "At temperatures lower than 60°F, kraut may not ferment."
60 to 65°F (16 to 18°C)	5 to 6 weeks	NCHFP: "at 60 to 65°F, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks."
70 to 75°F (21 to 24°C)	3 to 4 weeks	NCHFP: "kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks."
Above 75°F (24°C)	faster, taste early	NCHFP: "Above 75°F, kraut may become soft."

Clemson HGIC repeats the same four bands; Minnesota Extension calls 68 to 72°F ideal and warns that over 78°F causes over-fermentation and spoilage. Between 66 and 69°F, which NCHFP does not address, expect 4 to 5 weeks. Colorado State's 7 to 14 days at 68 to 72°F is for a young, mild kraut; the NCHFP figures are for fully fermented. Taste from the end of the first week and refrigerate when it is where you want it; NCHFP says fully fermented kraut keeps "tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months." The calculator turns your room temperature into the band directly.

Too salty or not salty enough

Too salty

First, find out whether it is: weigh what you used and divide by the cabbage weight. A tablespoon of Morton kosher is 14.4 g and a tablespoon of Diamond Crystal 8.4 g, so a recipe written for one and measured with the other is 70% off. Above 3%: let it ferment the full time, since sourness masks salt; rinse a serving before eating; or use it where you hold back other salt. Caught before fermentation starts, rinse and squeeze the shreds, weigh them again, and re-salt to 2%.

Not salty enough

Caught on day one, dissolve the missing grams in a little brine from the jar, pour it back, and press the cabbage down. Caught a week in, with the kraut smelling cleanly sour, leave it, keep the room at 65 to 70°F, and eat it sooner. If it is already soft, slimy, or smells wrong, that is NCHFP's "salt brine too weak" failure, and the batch is discarded. The troubleshooting diagnostic covers the other symptoms.

A brine for topping up

Fresh cabbage massaged with 2% salt makes its own brine. If it has not covered the cabbage after a day, or the level drops later, top up with salted water, never plain water, which dilutes the salt around the cabbage. NCHFP's make-up brine is "1-1/2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water," boiled and cooled: 27 g of pickling salt in 946 g of water, about 2.9%. To match a 2% kraut exactly, use 18.9 g per quart (3 1/4 tsp pickling salt) or 20 g per liter. Either is fine. For whole vegetables that sit in brine from the start, the fermentation brine calculator gives the stronger brines those need.

Safety

Keep the cabbage under the brine. Air above it is where yeast and mold grow. NCHFP: a brine-filled bag sealing the surface needs no disturbing until the bubbling stops; a plate and jar weight should be checked 2 to 3 times a week and any scum removed.
White or pink film is yeast. Colorado State Extension: it "can be removed and discarded. The sauerkraut below is still edible." NCHFP attributes scum to wild yeasts and bacteria; skim it and check the weight.
Fuzzy mold means discard. Raised, fuzzy growth in blue, black, green, or pink is mold, and the batch goes in the bin; do not scrape it off and keep the rest. The same for slimy cabbage or a putrid smell, which is different from sour.
Do not cut the salt. NCHFP's caution is quoted above; salt is the control in the first days before the acid takes over.
Refrigerate when done. Clean utensils, everything submerged, and it keeps for months. NCHFP also gives a canning process for shelf storage, at the cost of the live bacteria.

What you'll need

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Kitchen scale reading to 1 g. Two percent of a kilo is 20 g; a scale that rounds to 5 g cannot hold the ratio on a small head.
Pickling salt, kosher salt, or fine sea salt, non-iodized and without anti-caking agents.
Wide-mouth quart or half-gallon jar, or a crock; NCHFP's rule is a gallon of container per 5 lb of cabbage.
Fermentation weight, glass or ceramic, sized to the jar mouth, or a zip bag filled with brine.
Airlock lid, optional, so the jar vents without daily burping.

How this page is checked

This guide was written by Cedrick Reese for BrineCalculators.com. The 2% default and the 2 to 2.5% band are checked against the National Center for Home Food Preservation's sauerkraut page (3 tablespoons of canning salt per 5 lb, converted at 18 g per tablespoon), Clemson HGIC's 2.25 to 2.5%, and Colorado State Extension's 2 to 2.5% by weight; the temperature bands and the make-up brine are quoted from the NCHFP page, and the salt-type and water cautions from NCHFP's pickling and troubleshooting pages and Minnesota Extension. Every quotation on this page was read on the linked page before it was used.

The table, the answer line, and the calculator on this page are generated from one set of constants, the same salt densities and percentages the kimchi and sauerkraut calculator uses, so the grams here and the grams there cannot disagree. When a source page changes, the constant changes and the page is regenerated. If a number here disagrees with the linked source, that is a bug; use the contact page to report it.

Frequently asked questions

How much salt do I use per pound of cabbage for sauerkraut?

9.1 g per pound at 2%, which is 1 1/2 tsp of pickling salt, 2 tsp of Morton kosher, or 3 1/4 tsp of Diamond Crystal. A pound is 454 g and 454 times 0.02 is 9.1 g. At 2.5% it is 11.3 g. Weigh the shredded cabbage after coring, not the whole head.

How much salt for 1 kg of cabbage?

20 g at 2%, or 25 g at 2.5%. That is 3 1/4 tsp of pickling or fine sea salt, 4 1/4 tsp of Morton kosher, or 2 1/2 tbsp of Diamond Crystal for the 20 g. Metric makes the arithmetic easy: move the decimal two places and double it.

How much salt for one head of cabbage?

Weigh it; heads run from 700 g to over 2 kg. A medium head is about 1.2 kg whole and roughly 1 kg once the outer leaves and core are gone, so 24 g of salt for the whole-head weight or 20 g for the shredded weight. A recipe that says a tablespoon per head cannot know which head you bought or which salt you own.

What is the sauerkraut salt ratio as a percentage?

2% of the cabbage weight by weight is the standard on this site, and 2 to 2.5% is the sourced band. Colorado State Extension says to weigh the cabbage and use 2 to 2.5%, Clemson HGIC gives 2.25 to 2.5%, and NCHFP's 3 tablespoons of canning salt per 5 lb works out to about 2.4%. Salt divided by cabbage, times 100.

Can I make sauerkraut with less than 2% salt?

You can, but NCHFP's guidance is blunt: do not attempt to make sauerkraut by cutting back on the salt required. Salt is what favors the lactic acid bacteria over everything else in the first days and what keeps the cabbage firm. Under 2% you get soft kraut sooner and less margin against spoilage; if you try it, keep the room at the cool end of the range and check it daily.

What happens if I add too much salt to sauerkraut?

Above about 3% the lactic acid bacteria slow down, the ferment can stall, and the kraut tastes of salt rather than sour. Salt does not leave during fermentation, so what went in on day one is still there at the end. If you overshot before packing, rinse and drain the cabbage and re-salt it to 2% of its new weight. If it is already fermenting, give it the full time at 70 to 75°F and rinse a serving before eating.

Can I use iodized salt for sauerkraut?

NCHFP recommends canning or pickling salt and lists iodized salt among the causes of dark pickles; Colorado State and Minnesota Extension both say to use non-iodized salt. A 2018 study of iodized salt in sauerkraut found the iodine did not meaningfully slow the lactic acid bacteria, so a batch made with it is not lost. Use pickling, kosher, or fine sea salt when you have it, weighed, and avoid salt with anti-caking agents, which cloud the brine.

Do I need to add water or brine to sauerkraut?

Usually not. Massaged with 2% salt, fresh cabbage releases enough of its own liquid to cover itself within a few hours. If it has not after a day, or the level drops later, top it up with a brine rather than plain water: 2% is 18.9 g of salt per quart (3 1/4 tsp pickling salt), and NCHFP's make-up brine of 1 1/2 tablespoons per quart is about 2.9%.

How long does sauerkraut take to ferment?

NCHFP: at 70 to 75°F it is fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks; at 60 to 65°F it may take 5 to 6 weeks; below 60°F it may not ferment; above 75°F it may become soft. Taste it from the end of the first week and refrigerate it when it is as sour as you like.

Is sauerkraut with white film on top safe?

A flat white or pink film is yeast, not mold. Colorado State Extension says the scum can be removed and discarded and the sauerkraut below is still edible; NCHFP says to remove scum as often as it forms. Fuzzy, raised growth in blue, black, green, or pink is mold, and that batch is discarded, along with anything slimy or putrid-smelling.

References

Disclaimer

For educational purposes only: this guide and its calculator are intended for educational and informational purposes only. While we strive to provide accurate figures based on established fermentation guidance, results vary with ingredients, equipment, conditions, and technique.

Food safety responsibility: fermentation involves naturally occurring bacteria and requires proper food handling. You are solely responsible for food safety in your kitchen. Use clean equipment and fresh ingredients, follow established guidelines, and when in doubt about any fermented food, discard it.

No warranty: BrineCalculators.com makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this page for any purpose. Use of it is at your own risk. See the full disclaimer.

Sauerkraut Salt Ratio: How Much Salt for Sauerkraut