How to use it
- Weigh the water and type it in Water weight (grams).
- Type the strength you want in Salt strength (% of the whole brine).
- Weigh out the amount in Salt to weigh out (grams) and stir it into the water until it dissolves.
- Check the Total brine weight (grams), and keep the brine cold, as the food-safety section explains.
How the salt is worked out
The strength here is the salt as a share of the whole brine: the grams of salt divided by the grams of salt plus water, times 100. This is the usual definition of mass fraction, also called percentage by weight (Wikipedia, Mass fraction (chemistry)).
salt = water × p ÷ (100 − p)
total brine = water + salt
p salt strength, in percent of the whole brine- Because the salt is part of the brine, the salt is not a simple percentage of the water.
- A 5 % brine made from 1,000 g of water needs 52.6 g of salt, not 50 g.
Food safety when brining
The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP, University of Georgia) says that home refrigerators should keep foods at 40 °F (4 °C) or lower. Keep the brine and the food in the refrigerator for the whole time.
This page does not set a brining time. The time depends on the food and its size, so use the time in a tested recipe for the food you cook.
What this calculator does not cover
- Sugar, spices and herbs, which add weight that the calculator does not count.
- Curing salts that contain nitrite, which are not part of this calculation.
- Brining times, which depend on the food.
Worked example: 1,000 g of water at 5 %
The salt is 1,000 × 5 ÷ (100 − 5) = 52.6 g. The total brine is 1,000 + 52.6 = 1,052.6 g.
Check: 52.6 ÷ 1,052.6 is about 5 %.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Salt (grams) | 52.6 |
| Total brine (grams) | 1,052.6 |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the salt more than 5 % of the water?
The strength is a share of the whole brine, and the brine includes the salt. With 1,000 g of water, 5 % of the brine needs 52.6 g of salt, while 5 % of the water would be only 50 g.
Does the calculator work in grams or in cups?
It works in grams only. Weighing the water and the salt gives a more exact brine than measuring in cups or spoons.
How long can I keep the brine in the refrigerator?
This page does not give a time. Keep the brine and the food at 40 °F (4 °C) or lower, and follow the time in a tested recipe for the food you cook.
Can I use this calculator for pickling vegetables?
It only works out the salt by weight. For pickles, follow a tested recipe. The NCHFP advises that brine which has touched vegetables should not be reused.
Sources
- National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia): leftover pickling brine, and home refrigerators kept at 40 °F or lower
- Wikipedia: Mass fraction (chemistry), the mass of a constituent divided by the total mass of the mixture, also written as percentage by mass
Figures and text last checked on Thursday, November 12, 2026.