Vegetable · root

Lacto-fermenting red radish: 2.50% salt, 5.0days at 68 °F

Small red globe radishes ferment quickly and tint the brine a vivid pink. Their high water content and thin skins mean they sour in under a week, developing a mellow, slightly fizzy bite far gentler than raw radish. A common quick component in mixed-vegetable ferments and Korean-style banchan.

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% – 3.00%
Time @ 68 °F
5.0 days
Target pH
3.60
Water content
~95%
Preferred styles
brine pickle, lacto ferment, kimchi component

Technique

Trim and halve or quarter larger radishes; leave small ones whole. Pack into a jar and cover with a 2.5% salt brine (25g salt per liter). Weigh below the brine and ferment 3-7 days at 65-72°F — taste from day 3. Refrigerate once pleasantly sour to keep the snap.

Source: NCHFP (UGA) — fermented brine-pickle method. Last verified 2026-06-27.

Frequently asked questions

What percent salt for fermenting red radish?

2.50% by weight is the default for red radish (workable range 2.00%–3.00%). For 1000g red radish, that's 25.0g salt. Use non-iodised salt and weigh in grams — teaspoon equivalences vary by salt grain. Source: NCHFP (UGA) — fermented brine-pickle method.

How long to ferment red radish?

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 3.60 or below indicates complete primary fermentation.

What's the best technique for fermenting red radish?

Trim and halve or quarter larger radishes; leave small ones whole. Pack into a jar and cover with a 2.5% salt brine (25g salt per liter). Weigh below the brine and ferment 3-7 days at 65-72°F — taste from day 3. Refrigerate once pleasantly sour to keep the snap.

What category is red radish for fermentation?

Red Radish is a root vegetable. Small red globe radishes ferment quickly and tint the brine a vivid pink. Their high water content and thin skins mean they sour in under a week, developing a mellow, slightly fizzy bite far gentler t… Preferred fermentation style: brine-pickle, lacto-ferment, kimchi-component.

The kit for fermenting Red Radish

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

As an Amazon Associate, Fermentcalc earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. More on how this is funded.

New to fermenting? See the complete kit, in order →