1.8% salt for Fennel
10.0 days at 68 °F · pH target 3.60 · outside typical range
Salt calculator
Enter your vegetable weight and a salt percentage. We return the exact salt mass in grams, plus teaspoons for each common grain.
Grain matters: one teaspoon of Diamond Crystal weighs half as much as one teaspoon of fine sea salt. Weigh in grams when you can.
All salt grains
| Grain | Grams | Teaspoons | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Crystal kosher | 18 g | 6.34 | 2.11 |
| Morton kosher | 18 g | 3.75 | 1.25 |
| Fine sea salt | 18 g | 3.16 | 1.05 |
| Pickling / canning | 18 g | 3.27 | 1.09 |
About Fennel
The crisp bulb ferments into a softly anise-scented pickle that keeps a satisfying crunch. Fennel's licorice notes mellow as it sours, making it a favorite in Italian giardiniera and as a foil for rich foods. The fronds can be fermented along with the bulb for extra aroma.
Fermentation data
- Default salt
- 2.5%(you are viewing 1.8%)
- Salt range
- 2–3%
- Time at 68°F
- 10.0 days
- pH target
- 3.60
- Water content
- 90%
- Preferred styles
- giardiniera component, lacto ferment, brine pickle
Note: 1.8% is outside the typical range for Fennel (2–3%). The recommended default is 2.5%. View 2.5% + Fennel.
Technique
Trim the stalks, halve the bulb, and slice 3-5mm or cut into wedges. Cover with a 2.5% salt brine (25g salt per liter); add a few fennel seeds or a strip of lemon peel if desired. Weigh below the brine and ferment 7-14 days at 65-72°F, then refrigerate while still crisp.
Salt level notes at 1.8%
Medical-diet sauerkraut option. Use only green cabbage (higher natural sugar supports faster LAB establishment). Refrigerate at first bubbling-slowdown sign (typically 10-14 days).
Safety: Safe range for lacto-fermentation. 2% is the most common default for cabbage, kimchi and pepper mash.
Explore other salt levels for Fennel
Sources
- NCHFP (UGA) — fermented brine-pickle method
- NCHFP (UGA) — Fermented and Pickled Products
- Sandor Katz, The Art of Fermentation (Chelsea Green, 2012)
For educational use only. Consult your local food safety authority for commercial production.
The kit for fermenting Fennel
A short, honest kit for lacto-fermentation. The scale is the one that matters most — everything here is by weight.
- Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)Salt % is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math above accurate.View on Amazon →
- Glass fermentation weightsKeep vegetables submerged under the brine line so they ferment safely without mould.View on Amazon →
- Airlock fermentation lidsLet CO₂ escape while keeping oxygen out — wide-mouth lids that fit standard jars.View on Amazon →
- Wide-mouth mason jarsThe workhorse vessel for kraut, kimchi and brine pickles — 1 qt and ½ gal sizes.View on Amazon →
- Pickling / fine sea saltPure salt with no iodine or anti-caking agents, which can cloud brine and inhibit fermentation.View on Amazon →
- Stoneware fermentation crockFor scaling past the jar — a water-sealed crock for 5 L+ batches with built-in weights.View on Amazon →
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