Brine Calculator
Enter your jar size and ingredient to get exact water, vinegar, salt, and sugar measurements — for both vinegar pickles and lacto-fermented brines.
A brine is a solution of salt dissolved in water — sometimes with vinegar added — used to preserve and flavour vegetables. The salt draws out moisture and creates an environment where harmful bacteria cannot thrive.
Too little salt and your pickles may spoil. Too much and they become inedibly salty. For fermentation, 2–3% is ideal for flavour; 5% is used for longer shelf life or firmer vegetables.
Vinegar brines are fast (ready in 24 h), tangy, and shelf-stable once canned. Fermented brines are slower (3–7 days), more complex in flavour, and naturally probiotic.
Fermentation is fastest at 18–24 °C (65–75 °F). Hotter speeds things up but risks off-flavours; cooler slows it down. Refrigerator pickles in vinegar brine keep for 1–3 months.
Your brine recipe
Water
224ml
Vinegar
112ml
Salt
10g
Sugar
9g
How to use the calculator
Choose your brine type
Combine salt (and sugar if shown) with water, heat until dissolved, add vinegar off-heat, then pour over your prepped vegetables.
Select your vegetable and jar
Each vegetable has a recommended salt modifier — the calculator accounts for this automatically.
Set strength and ratio
Choose salt concentration and, for vinegar brines, how sharp you want the result to be.
Make and pour
Combine salt (and sugar if shown) with water, heat until dissolved, add vinegar off-heat, then pour over your prepped vegetables.
Which vinegar to use
| Type | Acidity | Flavour | Notes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White distilled | 5–7% | Sharp, neutral | Best for colour | Cucumbers, cauliflower |
| Apple cider | 5% | Fruity, mellow | Most versatile | Onions, carrots, peppers |
| White wine | 5–6% | Delicate, slightly floral | Great for garlic | Garlic, shallots |
| Red wine | 6% | Rich, slightly tannic | Colours the brine | Beets, red cabbage |
| Rice vinegar | 4% | Mild, slightly sweet | Lower acidity | Radishes, daikon |
Common questions