Salt plays a huge role in lacto-fermentation and taste is just the start. There’s a common fear that you need a very specific amount of salt to make a vegetable ferment “safe.” You should use some salt, but it isn't a complicated science.
Learn more on how to decide how much salt to add to your ferment, including a video explanation with Sandor Katz, the world’s leading fermentation revivalist and renowned author.
There’s no rule that Kosher salt works best with this or sea salt works best with that. However, it’s strongly advised not to use table salt. The combination of anti-caking chemicals and iodine can inhibit the ability for the vegetables to ferment and creates an extra salty flavor. Some fermenters recommend against Kosher salt because it too can have anti-caking chemicals, but we use it all the time and love it.
Learn more about what kind of salts we recommend using in your ferment, including a video on which salt Sandor Katz likes best.
So much more than taste! Salt pulls out moisture, keeps things crunchy and slows down the creation of lactic acid.
Learn more about the exact impact salt has on fermenting vegetables and how you can use it to manipulate your ferment. Includes avideo explanation with Sandor Katz, the world’s leading fermentation revivalist and renowned author.
Dry salting is a fermentation method that involves sprinkling salt onto a dry vegetable to draw out the water. If you're making sauerkraut, this is going to be the method you use.
Learn more about dry salting, how it works, and the general process.
Do you want to ferment carrots, beans, radishes or other large vegetables? First you'll need to create a brine with salt and water.
Learn more about how to make brine and the salt-water ratio recommended in a video explanation with Sandor Katz, the world’s leading fermentation revivalist and renowned author.
Not without removing the chorine or chloramine first! Most municipal tap water contains chlorine or chloramine (similar to chlorine, but more resilient) to kill bacteria. The problem is, it also kills the good bacteria you need to get your ferment going.
Learn more about selecting water for your brine and how to remove chlorine/chloramine from tap water.