Vegetable · leafy

Lacto-fermenting napa cabbage: 4.00% salt, 5.0days at 68 °F

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.

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.

40g salt
7.03 tsp 2.34 tbsp 1.41 oz

Based on Fine sea salt at 5.69 g/tsp.

Flavour-forward. Ferment will be slower; brine will taste salty. Good for pickles and hot-sauce mashes that need long shelf life.

All salt grains
GrainGramsTeaspoonsTablespoons
Diamond Crystal kosher40 g14.084.69
Morton kosher40 g8.332.78
Fine sea salt40 g7.032.34
Pickling / canning40 g7.272.42
Default salt
4.00 %
Salt range
3.50% – 5.00%
Time @ 68 °F
5.0 days
Target pH
4.00
Water content
~95%
Preferred styles
kimchi baechu, pao cai

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.

Source: Maangchi — traditional tongbaechu-kimchi. Last verified 2026-06-09.

Frequently asked questions

What percent salt for fermenting napa cabbage?

4.00% by weight is the default for napa cabbage (workable range 3.50%–5.00%). For 1000g napa cabbage, that's 40.0g salt. Use non-iodised salt and weigh in grams — teaspoon equivalences vary by salt grain. Source: Maangchi — traditional tongbaechu-kimchi.

How long to ferment napa cabbage?

5.0 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 4.00 or below indicates complete primary fermentation.

What's the best technique for fermenting napa cabbage?

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.

What category is napa cabbage for fermentation?

Napa Cabbage is a leafy vegetable. 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 wate… Preferred fermentation style: kimchi-baechu, pao-cai.

The kit for fermenting Napa Cabbage

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

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