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.

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What is a brine?

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.

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Why does concentration matter?

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.

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Vinegar vs fermentation

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.

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Temperature & timing

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.

Ingredient

Jar size

Number of jars

Jar fill

Salt concentration

Vinegar ratio

Your brine recipe

Water

224ml

Vinegar

112ml

Salt

10g

Sugar

Add dill, garlic, and peppercorns. Trim blossom ends to keep pickles crisp. Pour hot brine over the cucumbers, seal, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating.

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

Do I need to sterilise my jars?

For refrigerator pickles eaten within a few weeks, clean jars are fine. For shelf-stable canned pickles, you must sterilise jars and use a proper canning process. Fermented pickles just need clean jars. The salt creates its own protective environment.

Why is my brine cloudy?

Cloudiness in fermented pickles is completely normal. It is caused by beneficial lactobacillus bacteria and is a sign of healthy fermentation. Vinegar pickles should stay clear; cloudiness there may indicate spoilage.

Can I reuse brine from a previous batch?

You can top off a ferment with fresh salted water, but reusing vinegar brine is not recommended for canning as the acidity may be too diluted to be safe. For refrigerator pickles, reusing brine once is generally fine.

What salt should I use?

Use non-iodised salt. Pickling salt, kosher salt, or sea salt. Iodised table salt can inhibit fermentation bacteria and may cause cloudiness or off-flavours. Avoid salts with anti-caking agents.