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That stat about salt levels in brine shocked me
I was reading this fermentation guide last night and found out that most people use way too little salt in their brines. The book said you need at least 2% salt by weight of water and veggies combined to stop bad bacteria from growing. I had been just guessing with a tablespoon per quart like my grandma did, and it turns out that might not be enough for safety. After 6 months of making pickles that were sometimes mushy, I finally get why they failed. The specific number was 2.5% for crunchy results, and I found that in The Fermented Kitchen book by someone named Lisa. Has anyone else tested their brine with a scale instead of just eyeballing it?
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julia_hayes23d ago
Honestly that "2.5% for crunchy results" bit hit me hard too, I switched to weighing everything after a year of sad limp pickles and it was a total game changer. Tbh I used to just dump salt in like my abuela did and now I feel so dumb for not checking the science sooner.
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fisher.taylor22d ago
Idk is it really that big a deal though?
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