What is the Best Salt to Use When Making Fermented Sauerkraut?

52 thoughts on “What is the Best Salt to Use When Making Fermented Sauerkraut?”

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2. I have been making fermented vegetables by using a bacterial “starter” (lactobacilli and others), and so I have not worried much about how much salt I use, although I did happen to use the Himalayan salt… at least I got THAT right… So far, over the last year or so I have consumed a couple of gallons of my ferments, and am still alive. Still, I am wondering if what I am doing is safe… what if the starter doesn’t take sufficiently ?… should I do the higher quantites of salt such as you recommend, just to be (more) sure ? Don’t wanna die of botulism… BTW, the way I do the starter is I put double the recommended quantity into a couple of liters of celery juice (home squeezed), along with a T or so of the himalayan salt, already dissolved in water, and then a T or so of honey, mix and let stand an hour or so at room temp (however long it takes me to grate all the veggies… usually a lot more than an hour). That then serves as my covering brine. (My veggies are predominantly cabbages, plus carrots, ginger, onion, pepper, radish, beet).

   • Hi Kingtoot,

     Since you’ve been successfully making many batches of fermented vegetables, you must be doing more than getting just the salt right. What is not clear is whether you’re making “sauerkraut” which doesn’t usually need added brine or roughly cutting vegetables and pouring brine over.

     Lactic acid bacteria consume the sugars in the vegetables to create lactic acid which preserves the ferment and kills harmful bacteria. This creates an acidic environment with a pH of 4.6 or lower to be considered safe. Testing with pH can be done, but if you’re following proven recipes all should be fine. Botulism doesn’t like a salty environment nor an acidic environment.

     Salt ratios can vary creating anywhere from a 2% brine (which I use for my sauerkraut recipes) and up depending on what you’re fermenting.

     I have no experience with celery juice, though I do add celery to my sauerkraut.

     I don’t use starters. They add an extra item to buy and are not necessary for sauerkraut ferments. Starters add extra beneficial bacteria to stack the deck in your favor.

     I’ve never used honey. You’d be adding other bacteria – if it’s raw – and adding more sugar for the bacteria to feed upon.

     Happy Fermenting

     • Thanks Holly ! Well, I will say this, just for peace of mind, now that I have read your thing I will definitely do the salt in your recommended proportions, and then when I use up my starter, dunno, I might still be too chicken to fly without it, not sure. The honey I add actually isn’t raw, it’s costco honey, probably not the most ideal. The acidity thing confuses me a bit, because I must say, that while my ferments do have a zing to them, they don’t seem nearly as acidic as say vinegar, or a lemon. Should they seem more vinegary ? Maybe I should get some litmus strips. Or does the acidity change (reduce) during the ferment period ? I usually ferment mine about 8-14 days before putting in fridge. I remember storebought sauer kraut as being only mildly tart, certainly not as tart as ACV, eg… I mean, it is very hard for me to eat a mouthful of ACV without choking (air gets mixed in the bite or something, and I am a goner).

       • Try my recipe! https://www.makesauerkraut.com/how-to-make-sauerkraut/ No litmus strip hassles. It has worked for hundreds of people and I’ve made 100s of quarts of sauerkraut. It takes away all worries and then you’ll have a baseline to see what is “vinegary” or not for you. I find it to be pleasantly sour, but not overly so at all.

         I don’t know what the pH is at the start of fermentation, but it’s 4.6 or lower at the end.

         Good Luck!

     • I agree, you don’t need starters for fermenting. In fact, everything I’ve fermented has been done without any starter pack.

       Now I haven’t done sauerkraut, since it’s not my particular cup of tea. But I have done pickles, and bell/hot peppers as far as veggies go.

       I’ve also started fermenting some salsa, and boy oh boy, is it tasty. I tend to let it ferment a little bit longer to really get the probiotics going, but add a tiny bit of stevia to negate most of the sourness to make it more palatable when I scoop out a bowlful of it.

       I also sterilize any jars I use by either putting them in a boiling pot of water for 10-20 minutes, or if they’re too big for a pot, fill it up with boiling water from a kettle, let sit for 10 minutes, dump the water out, then repeat.

       • Thanks for sharing your experience Jason. I have a few salsa and onion relish recipes that use whey. I’ll experiment without whey because I’ve never liked using the whey. My first bad experiences with sauerkraut used whey, definitely not necessary.

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4. oh no, I was watching Maangchi, making kimchi and she said to use kosher salt, so I got a kilo of it. I keep getting confused between kimchi and sauerkraut methods.

   • Hello Johnny, No worries. Fermentation is somewhat forgiving. My guidelines are stack the deck in your favor and ensure repeatable success.

     If you use the Kosher (as long as it has no additives), try mixing the salt in and leaving it sit for an hour and then seeing if you have any large grains of salt left. It should break down given some extra time.

     • Thanks Holly, I’m going to get some Himalayan Pink, before the new crock arrives.

       • This is what I’ve got, no additives and it says that it sticks to food, really well.

5. Hi Holly, how much less salt should I use, if using Himalayan Pink?

   • Hi Johnny, The numbers I give are for any of the fine grain salts, including Himalayan Pink.

     Use 1 tablespoon for the 1 3/4 pounds or 3 tablespoons for 5 pounds. See: https://www.makesauerkraut.com/how-much-salt-use-to-make-sauerkraut/

     • Thanks Holly

6. Hi Holly,
   Love your website and wished I had seen your website 2 weeks ago when I made my my first batch of saurkraut. I was told that I could use mason jars and put cheese cloth over the brine. However, I made a huge mistake by using Morton table salt. So far, it all looks like it did when I made it with few to no bubbles and smells about the same. I have tasted it and it’s like a very mild version almost like cold slaw. I bought some pickling salt. Can I salvage my batch by adding pickling salt now? Also, will my batch be safe to eat?

   • Life is full of lessons and fermenting is more forgiving than we all like to admit. Glad you’re enjoying the website.

     Don’t waste your time trying to salvage the first batch. Leave it alone and see how it is in a week or two. Adding pickling salt will just give it a higher level of salt and slow fermentation down even more. It should be fine to eat.

     Cheese cloth over brine. I made many a jars of sauerkraut without the lid. They turned out fine. But, once I learned that sauerkraut ferments best without air, I switched to using the lids and noticed an improvement in taste and texture. Live and learn. You have many good jars of kraut ahead of you!

     • Thanks Holly. Though it doesn’t have much kraut flavor, it is still pretty good. Next time I will put lids on and get some Hymalaian salt.

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8. Hi Holly,
   Thanks for the valued information. I have a query. I am not able to find the Himalayan Pink Salt in the market nearby, but I do have Black Salt (Indian). I have read it some where that Black Salt is made from Himalayan Pink Salt by adding some Indian spices. Can I use it to make Sauerkraut?

   • It would depend upon what all was added. Some places mention sulphur which might impact fermentation. In addition, the amount of spices added if it was a large percentage would cut down on the amount of sodium in the salt mixture.

     I would do a one-jar test batch and see how it ferments. Maybe just cabbage and the salt so you can tell what flavor it imparts. Also, go a little heavy on the salt to compensate for the added spices, perhaps a rounded tablespoon.

     If not, look for a plain white salt without additives. Let me know if you get some scrumptious sauerkraut with the black salt :-).

     • Thanks. I have found Himalayan pink salt. I do not want to take risk as
       I am doing it for the first time. I am making it today and I will discuss it with you as the process begins. Thank u for being there. 🙂

9. I don’t like to rely on intuition alone when it comes to microbiology and bacteria we ingest in our foods which on one hand is good and the other hand can turn nasty in a moment .. so this was an excellent article based on experience which I will incorporate. Thanks for your experience. I will indeed be using pink salt.. it’s readily available to me so it’s a no brainer.

   • Thank you. Himalayan Pink salt has not failed me yet. Now that you have your key ingredient sourced, make sure to weigh your cabbage and vegetables and you’ll be successful, QUITE successful. Enjoy.

10. What do you think of Maldon Sea Salt Flakes? I want to maximize nutrients bc I don’t eat many veggies. Are Maldon Flakes comparable in terms of minerals, like Himalayan Pink Salt? I used it for my first attempt using your guide and it turned out tasty.

    • From what I could find, Maldon Sea Salt Flakes are 98% sodium chloride, similar to a sea salt. This makes it lower in minerals than Himalayan Pink. The mineral-rich salts (Himalayan, Real Salt) are 84% sodium chloride, with the remainder being minerals.

      If using it, I would definitely weigh the salt vs. using a measuring spoon. Its large flakes would take up more space and measuring would not be as accurate.

      But… that being said, you had great success with it. It is more expensive than HP or Real Salt. Just some thoughts to keep in mind when you reach for the salt for your next batch of sauerkraut.

      • WOW! This is the first time I really noticed the sodium chloride content for 2 salts on the same page OR actually paid it any attention. BUT In this case if BRINE is the amount of sodium chloride itself , a user of pink Himalayan salt shooting for a 5% brine would only wind up with a 4% brine as compared to the user of Maldon Sea salt flakes…… a 16% difference of brine strength probably would not effect a lot unless it was the “bottom” 16% needed to keep it from being attacked by a spoiling invasion of bad guys.

        • Yes Mike and Sheila, you bring up a good point that I’m now finding myself pondering. I don’t find a need to become more “accurate” because the Himalyan Pink at 2% has been working fine and probably results in a less “salty” taste than a pure sodium salt. However, it should be noted/discussed somewhere.

          • Right. Most people are sold on the himalayan salt. I have a tendency I am fighting to reduce my salt. My kraut comes out a little salty but to crisp! I want more of the store bought consistency 🙂

          • I would ferment for longer and at warmer temps to achieve – or try to – a softer kraut.

11. My Himalayan salt is large. Should I grind it down smaller or just buy it fine ground?

    • Grind down what you have until you’re able to buy the fine ground.

      Or, if you want to use the large, be sure to weigh it, mix it in and wait until it completely dissolves – probably more of a hassle. https://www.makesauerkraut.com/salt-by-weight/

      • I have a grinder so I’ll use what I have for now and remember to buy fine ground next time 🙂 By the way, I’m a fellow Canuck that transplanted to California in 1992!

        • And, I’m a fellow California gal transplanted to British Columbia in 2007!

          • Funny! Well I got my new batch made up last night in my crock. It’s all submerged, weights and all under about 2″ of brine and I covered it with plastic, as you suggest. When I made sauerkraut in jars last year, I just covered them with cheesecloth and didn’t have any problems so I’m never sure on that.

          • I’m sure it will be just fine. There is an “ideal” and then we work with what we have. I don’t use an open crock. To keep as much air out as possible, you just want some type of “lid” and the plastic – over the rim, not on the brine – is the closest trick to keeping air out.

          • I like to use a gallon sized zip lock back filled about 1/3 full of water to add weight and also make a good seal around the top of the crock. Easy and it works great.

          • Good to hear of. I’ll add that suggestion to the post on fermenting in a crock.

12. Holly, I did use Kosher salt and there’s not that much brine, most is at the bottom. This was yesterday, Sunday. Should I throw it out and start over. One big cabbage made 4 quart jars. I didn’t put another jar in to pack the cabbage, but I packed it super tight. Will it make a difference not having a jar in the quart jar? Thanks.

    • Should I add water to cover the cabbage?

      • Massage the cabbage for a bit to get the cabbage to release more moisture. Add brine if necessary (2 cups water – 1 tablespoon salt). The cabbage mixture will expand on it’s own during the first few days and most likely push up out of the brine, hence the need for a weight. Ideas here: https://www.makesauerkraut.com/fermentation-weights/

13. Why do you recommend against Kosher salt?
    I’ve used it many times for fermenting, without any problems .
    I weigh my salt using a gram scale for simpler calculations.
    I don’t understand your issue of the large grain size.

    For kraut, after mixing with the cut cabbage and waiting half an hour, pound it with the end of a cylindrical wooden rolling pin until it bleeds the brine.
    Then squeeze each handful of kraft leaving the brine at the bottom of the bowl of kraut.
    Pack into the jar(s) pounding it down with the rolling pin after every several handfuls.
    When completed packing to the headspace, pour some of the accumulated brine into the jars, press down with the rolling pin to get some of the air bubbles out.
    Pour remaining brine into the jars after putting in a reserved cabbage leaf.
    Put on a weight and cover.

    For fermentating brined vegetables I weigh both the water and the salt.
    When mixing, just make sure the salt is completely dissolved, OR rinse the salt out of the bottom of the mixing vessel.
    I weigh the salt and water before starting to pack the vegetables to give the salt time to dissolve completely, stirring it while packing.

    How is Kosher salt grain size a problem if it dissolves?

    It is also available and inexpensive.

    • Thanks for your question. As long as it has no anti-caking agents in it, you’re fine. Not everyone weighs their salt – glad to hear you do – so I try to make first time experiences as simple as possible. The grain size is a issue if you don’t weigh your salt. One tablespoon of a fine grain is very different than 1 tablespoon of the large Kosher salt grains.

      I don’t do much, if any at all of the pounding – just a bit of light massaging – so the salt doesn’t always dissolve in time. Sounds like you have a system that works, so continue to ferment in that way.

      Great system on brined vegetables. Yes, now that I have a good digital scale, weighing the water and salt makes it so easy. I’m playing around with using a very fine grain salt, packing vegetables into the jar, taring, pouring in the water, adding the 2% salt and then turning the jar upside down and back up and few times the first day to get it to dissolve. No mixing of brine, no leftover brine. We’ll see.

      • I always weigh both water and salt on the gram scale.
        1kg water = 1000g = 1liter.
        To get 2.5% salt solution, multiply the number of grams of water by 0.025.
        For 2% multiply by 0.02.
        For 3.5% multiply by 0.35, etc.
        Easy Pickle.
        Perhaps you might share this with your readers.

        • I think I have this in my pickle post. I’ll add it there and to my carrot post if not. Happy Pickling!

          • HI. I used pink himalayan salt but it actually has iodine added. I have 2
            batches of this in the works and after 15 days, the first one has no
            bubbles…should I let it stand another week or so to see if it ferments
            or just start over? Is there a chance? Thanks.

          • You may have missed seeing the bubbles. They tend to happen in the first 3-5 days. I would give it a smell and taste. Sour? Tangy? Almost vinegar like? If you have that, then it has fermented and you can decide how much longer to let it ferment. If it tasted liked salted cabbage, then fermentation hasn’t happened.

          • Thank you. It definitely has a sour/vinegary smell….not totally pleasant but looking forward to trying it! Thanks again!

14. What is the easiest way to ferment cabbage

    • In a simple batch of sauerkraut. Follow my recipe and use just cabbage. Enjoy! https://www.makesauerkraut.com/sure-fire-sauerkraut-in-a-jar/

15. What happens if you add canning salt and garlic salt 3 to 1 when you fermenting your saurkruat

    • I have not tried this idea. You’ll want to be able to know how much total salt you’re using and make sure there are no nasties in the garlic salt that might interfere with the fermentation process.