Salt percentage
2% salt — standard sauerkraut
Balanced salt-sour. Vegetable flavor forward with pleasant salinity. The classic sauerkraut flavor profile.
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 | 20 g | 7.04 | 2.35 |
| Morton kosher | 20 g | 4.17 | 1.39 |
| Fine sea salt | 20 g | 3.51 | 1.17 |
| Pickling / canning | 20 g | 3.64 | 1.21 |
Safety and use at 2%
The NCHFP + FDA recommended baseline for home lacto-fermentation. Reliable safety margin against pathogens across normal kitchen temperatures (60-78°F) and hygiene conditions. Use this unless you have specific reason to vary.
Technique notes
Default. If in doubt, use 2.0%. The Noma Guide to Fermentation, NCHFP, Sandor Katz, and King Arthur all cite this as their baseline recommendation.
Typical ferments at 2%
- sauerkraut
- giardiniera base
- mixed vegetable krauts
Vegetables at 2%
6 vegetables are commonly fermented at 2% salt. Each page gives timing at 68 °F, pH target, and species-specific technique.
- Green Cabbage — 14.0d at 68 °F · pH 3.40
- Jalapeño Pepper — 7.0d at 68 °F · pH 3.50
- Mixed Hot Peppers — 7.0d at 68 °F · pH 3.50
- Garlic — 21.0d at 68 °F · pH 3.50
- Ginger Root — 7.0d at 68 °F · pH 3.80
- Turnip — 10.0d at 68 °F · pH 3.80
Sources
Salt percentage guidance from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), FDA fermented vegetable guidelines, and Sandor Katz, The Art of Fermentation (Chelsea Green, 2012). Information is provided for educational purposes. Consult your local food safety authority for commercial production.