Vegetable · legume

Lacto-fermenting green bean: 3.50% salt, 10.0days at 68 °F

Fresh green beans. The classic 'dilly bean' is lacto-fermented (NOT vinegar-pickled) in this variant. Retains crunch better than cucumbers at longer ferment times. Young, tender beans work best; woody beans soften poorly.

Salt calculator

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

Vegetable weight

grams

Salt percentage

Salt 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.

35g salt

6.15 tsp 2.05 tbsp 1.23 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

Grain	Grams	Teaspoons	Tablespoons
Diamond Crystal kosher	35 g	12.32	4.11
Morton kosher	35 g	7.29	2.43
Fine sea salt	35 g	6.15	2.05
Pickling / canning	35 g	6.36	2.12

Default salt: 3.50 %
Salt range: 3.00% – 4.00%
Time @ 68 °F: 10.0 days
Target pH: 3.80
Water content: ~90%
Preferred styles: brine pickle dilly beans

Technique

Trim stem ends, leave whole. Pack vertical in jar with 2 dill heads + 2 garlic cloves + 1 tsp red pepper flakes + 1 tsp mustard seed per pint. Cover with 3.5% brine. Weigh down. 7-10 days at 68°F.

Source: NCHFP — Dilly Beans. Last verified 2026-06-09.

Frequently asked questions

What percent salt for fermenting green bean?

3.50% by weight is the default for green bean (workable range 3.00%–4.00%). For 1000g green bean, that's 35.0g salt. Use non-iodised salt and weigh in grams — teaspoon equivalences vary by salt grain. Source: NCHFP — Dilly Beans.

How long to ferment green bean?

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 3.80 or below indicates complete primary fermentation.

What's the best technique for fermenting green bean?

Trim stem ends, leave whole. Pack vertical in jar with 2 dill heads + 2 garlic cloves + 1 tsp red pepper flakes + 1 tsp mustard seed per pint. Cover with 3.5% brine. Weigh down. 7-10 days at 68°F.

What category is green bean for fermentation?

Green Bean is a legume vegetable. Fresh green beans. The classic 'dilly bean' is lacto-fermented (NOT vinegar-pickled) in this variant. Retains crunch better than cucumbers at longer ferment times. Young, tender beans work best; woody… Preferred fermentation style: brine-pickle-dilly-beans.

The kit for fermenting Green Bean

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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