Brine + Veg Method
A brine solution is created and poured over raw, prepared vegetables.
Determine how much brine you need and measure out that much non-chlorinated water. For example, if you are filling a quart jar you can make a quart of brine and have a little left over.
Decide what salinity you are aiming for. I typically use a 2-2.5% brine. However some vegetables will want more salt because they are prone to mushiness (cucumber) or rot (peppers). Brine ferment recipes will usually indicate desired salinity.
Calculate your salt based on your desired volume and salinity. There are several of ways to calculate your salt. Choose whichever method works best for you in the moment.
You can use an online calculator where you enter your desired salinity, volume, units of measurement etc. and the tool will pop out your answer.
You can refer to a chart
TIP: I took a screen shot of this one on my phone and favorited it in photos for easy access
You can weigh your water from step 1 in grams and then multiply by your salinity%. Recall that 2% is .02 in calculations.
water weight (g) x salinity = salt weight (g)
e.g., 1000g water x .02 = 20g so for 1 liter of brine at 2% salinity you need to add 20g salt
TIP: 1 quart is about 1 liter which weighs 1000g
Dissolve your weighed salt into your measured water. You can warm the water a bit to help but allow it to cool before step 5.
Put veggies in jar (or whatever you’re using) and then pour your brine over the vegetables.
For information on your fermentation vessel (the jar, lid system etc.) please go to What a Crock!
