Vegetable · leafy

Lacto-fermenting brussels sprouts: 2.50% salt, 10.0days at 68 °F

Cousin to cabbage, Brussels sprouts ferment into a crunchy, tangy snack with a deep umami finish. Sandor Katz documents them halved or quartered in a brine; the cabbage-family Lactobacillus produces clean acidity. Best when fermented young, when sprouts are firm and still tightly closed. Loose, yellowing sprouts disintegrate during fermentation.

Salt calculator

Enter your vegetable weight and a salt percentage. We return the exact salt mass in grams, plus teaspoons for each common grain.

grams
%

Grain matters: one teaspoon of Diamond Crystal weighs half as much as one teaspoon of fine sea salt. Weigh in grams when you can.

25g salt
4.39 tsp 1.46 tbsp 0.88 oz

Based on Fine sea salt at 5.69 g/tsp.

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

All salt grains
GrainGramsTeaspoonsTablespoons
Diamond Crystal kosher25 g8.82.93
Morton kosher25 g5.211.74
Fine sea salt25 g4.391.46
Pickling / canning25 g4.551.52
Default salt
2.50 %
Salt range
2.00% – 3.50%
Time @ 68 °F
10.0 days
Target pH
3.50
Water content
~86%
Preferred styles
brine pickle, lacto ferment

Technique

Trim outer leaves and stem-end. Halve lengthwise (or quarter if large). Pack tightly into a jar with two crushed garlic cloves, a teaspoon of black peppercorns, and one bay leaf per quart. Cover with 2.5% brine (25g salt per liter water). Weight below brine, leave 1 inch headspace. Ferment 7-14 days at 65-72°F. Taste from day 7. Refrigerate when balanced. Soft outer layer is normal; mushy texture throughout indicates over-fermentation.

Source: Katz — Wild Fermentation (2nd ed., p. 90). Last verified 2026-06-20.

Frequently asked questions

What percent salt for fermenting brussels sprouts?

2.50% by weight is the default for brussels sprouts (workable range 2.00%–3.50%). For 1000g brussels sprouts, that's 25.0g salt. Use non-iodised salt and weigh in grams — teaspoon equivalences vary by salt grain. Source: Katz — Wild Fermentation (2nd ed., p. 90).

How long to ferment brussels sprouts?

10.0 days at 68°F (20°C). Cooler kitchens (60-65°F) slow fermentation; warmer kitchens (75-80°F) roughly halve the time per 10°F increase. Start tasting from day 5; target pH 3.50 or below indicates complete primary fermentation.

What's the best technique for fermenting brussels sprouts?

Trim outer leaves and stem-end. Halve lengthwise (or quarter if large). Pack tightly into a jar with two crushed garlic cloves, a teaspoon of black peppercorns, and one bay leaf per quart. Cover with 2.5% brine (25g salt per liter water). Weight below brine, leave 1 inch headspace. Ferment 7-14 days at 65-72°F. Taste from day 7. Refrigerate when balanced. Soft outer layer is normal; mushy texture throughout indicates over-fermentation.

What category is brussels sprouts for fermentation?

Brussels Sprouts is a leafy vegetable. Cousin to cabbage, Brussels sprouts ferment into a crunchy, tangy snack with a deep umami finish. Sandor Katz documents them halved or quartered in a brine; the cabbage-family Lactobacillus produces c… Preferred fermentation style: brine-pickle, lacto-ferment.

The kit for fermenting Brussels Sprouts

A short, honest kit for lacto-fermentation. The scale is the one that matters most — everything here is by weight.

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