2% salt for Napa Cabbage

About Napa Cabbage

The standard kimchi base. Napa cabbage has looser, more water-dense leaves than green cabbage. Traditional Korean preparation salts at higher % (3.5-5%) during a pre-ferment brining stage to draw water and soften leaves before the paste is added.

Fermentation data

Default salt

4%(you are viewing 2%)

Salt range

3.5–5%

Time at 68°F

5.0 days

pH target

4.00

Water content

95%

Preferred styles

kimchi baechu, pao cai

Note: 2% is outside the typical range for Napa Cabbage (3.5–5%). The recommended default is 4%. View 4% + Napa Cabbage.

Technique

Quarter cabbage lengthwise. Dry-salt at 4% by quarter weight, rest 2-4 hours flipping halfway. Rinse 3x in cold water to remove excess salt. Toss with kimchi paste (gochugaru, ginger, garlic, fish sauce or alternative, carrot, scallion, radish). Pack into jar leaving 2cm headspace. Ferment 3-7 days at 65-70°F then transfer to fridge.

Salt level notes at 2%

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.

Safety: Safe range for lacto-fermentation. 2% is the most common default for cabbage, kimchi and pepper mash.

Explore other salt levels for Napa Cabbage

• 1.5% — minimum safe
• 1.8% — low-salt sauerkraut
• 2% — standard sauerkraut (current)
• 2.25% — lightly-salted brine-pickle
• 2.5% — standard hot sauce
• 3% — brine-pickle standard
• 3.5% — kimchi rinse stage
• 4% — traditional kimchi / kvass

Sources

• Maangchi — traditional tongbaechu-kimchi
• 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.