PRESERVATION OF VEGETABLES BY SALTING OR BRINING

Prepared by:
Angela M. Fraser, Ph.D.
Associate Professor/Food Safety Education Specialist
NC State University

This publication was updated in August 2005 and is based on the original
Farmers Bulletin No. 1932 authored by John L. Etchells, Ivan D. Jones, June, 1944

Salting or brining is an inexpensive and easy way to preserve vegetables. Salted or

brined vegetables retain a fair amount of their nutritive value. The resulting product is either
salty or has an acid taste, both of which many people like.
There are four different ways to salt or brine vegetables. These methods are: 1) with
a small amount of salt; 2) with a large amount of salt; 3) with a weak salt brine plus vinegar;
or 4) with a strong salt brine plus vinegar.

Dry-salting Methods
Method 1 (small amount of salt) is used to make sauerkraut from cabbage. It is also
used to make a kraut-like product with shredded turnips and rutabagas.
Method 2 (large amount of salt) is used to make a product with a strong salty taste.
Most people soak this product for 8-12 hours in one gallon of water to one pound of
vegetables before cooking to remove some of the saltiness. Heavily salted vegetables can be
used without soaking if mixed with enough unsalted foods, such as meat, potatoes, carrots,
turnips, onions, or canned tomatoes. Use about ¼ pound of salted vegetables for each 2
quarts of soup or stew. Do not use any additional salt; the salted vegetables contain enough
salt to flavor the whole dish.

Brining Methods
Method 3 (weak salt brine plus vinegar) is used to make vegetables that have an acid
flavor. They do not need to be soaked to remove the salt. However, if the flavor is too tart,
they can be rinsed well with water or soaked for a short time and then drained before cooking.
Method 4 (strong salt brine plus vinegar) is particularly suitable for bulky vegetables.
For example, peas or lima beans in the pods can be preserved in a strong brine when a large
amount must be preserved quickly to prevent deterioration or loss. Unless they are first
blanched, some vegetables, such as mature snap beans, peas, and lima beans, become firmer
when salted or brined. If salted or brined, they will need to be cooked somewhat longer than
will fresh vegetables.

Salting and Brining Vegetables 1

Five Points to Remember when Salting and Brining Vegetables
1. Follow directions exactly if you want a good product.
2. Weigh the vegetables and salt as stated in the directions.
3. Keep the vegetables covered with brine at all times to prevent the top layer from spoiling.
4. Keep the brine surface free from scum and insects.
5. Boil salted or brined vegetables vigorously for at least 10 minutes before eating or even
tasting them. Throw away product that is soft or has a bad odor.

Type of Salt to Use

Do not salt or brine vegetables with table salt because table salt usually contains an
anti-caking agent. Coarse salt is also unsuitable, because it dissolves slowly and cannot be
distributed as evenly as finer salt. Reduced sodium salts also cannot be used, as this type of
salt does not function as a preservative.
Any one of three grades of salt can be used: granulated (pickling or canning), flake, or
medium salt. The flake and medium grades of salt are more bulky than is the granulated. For
example, it takes about 1½ cups of flake or medium salt to weigh as much as 1 cup of
granulated salt. It is best to weigh salt rather than measure it. Table 2 gives equivalent
amounts of the different grades of salt by weight and volume.

Equipment and Supplies Needed

Table 1 gives the estimated weights of different vegetables that can be packed in 1-
quart, 1-gallon, and 10-gallon containers.

Salting Methods

Method 1 -- Dry salting with a small amount of salt (2½% to 5% by weight)

Vegetables that can be preserved using this method

Rutabagas, snap beans (extra tender), and turnips

Preparing the Vegetables

Select high-quality, raw vegetables. Wash and trim root vegetables. Wash snap beans
thoroughly. Blanch them for 5 minutes in boiling water or preferably in steam. Cool
promptly. Cut off the ends and cut the beans into short lengths.

Salting Procedure
1. Turnips and rutabagas. Shred with a sharp knife or cutter and pack into containers.
Distribute salt evenly over vegetables while filling the container. Use ¼ pound (4
ounces) of salt for each 10 pounds of vegetables. (For the amount of salt using a
different grade of salt see Table 3.) Pack firmly so brine forms. Pack small quantities
of vegetables in glass jars of one gallon or smaller size, fitted with screw-type lids.
Mix vegetables and salt in a large bowl or pan and pack into the small containers. To
hold vegetables under the brine in small mouth jars, use clean wooden strips inserted
under the jar neck.

Salting and Brining Vegetables 2

Table 1. Estimated weights of salted or brined vegetables that can be packed in containers of
different sizes.

Container Size
Vegetables Condition 1-Quart 1-Gallon 10-Gallon
Dry salting (Methods 1 and 2): Pounds Pounds Pounds
Cabbage Shredded 2 8 80
Celery Cut in pieces 1 4 40
Corn Cut from cob 2½ 10 100
Lima beans Shelled and blanched 2½ 10 100
Okra Cut in pieces 1 4 40
Peas Shelled and blanched 2½ 10 100
Rutabagas Shredded 2 8 80
Snap beans Cut and blanched 1½ 6 60
Turnips Shredded 2 8 80

Brining (Methods 3 and 4):

Beets Whole 1½ 6 60
Carrots Whole 1½ 6 60
Cauliflower Cut in pieces 1 4 40
Cauliflower Whole - - 30
Greens Not blanched ½ 2 20
Lima Beans In the pods - 3 30
Okra Whole ¾ 3 30
Onions Whole 1 4 40
Peas In the pods - 3 30
Peppers Halved 1 4 40
Rutabagas Sliced or diced 1½ 6 60
Snap beans Whole or blanched ¾ 3 30
Turnips Sliced or diced 1½ 6 60

Salting and Brining Vegetables 3

 2. After the salt-vegetable mixture has been packed in large mouth containers, weight it
down with a glass plate and a weight or plastic bag filled with water. Water drawn
from the vegetable by the salt will form brine that will rise above the cover. If the
brine level is low in any container after it is packed, add 2-½ percent brine for turnips
and rutabagas and 5% brine for snap beans. The brine must cover the vegetables. The
amounts of salt and water to make these brines are given in Table 4.
3. Keep the packed containers at a temperature of about 70oF. Fermentation will begin
shortly after the raw vegetables are salted and continue for about two weeks.
4. Put a shallow pan or folded newspapers under glass jars of salted vegetables to catch
the brine that usually runs over when gas is formed during fermentation. Near the end
of the fermentation (in about 10 days) the brine level in the jars will drop noticeably (1
to 2 inches) and may go below the top of the packed material. If this occurs, add new
2½ percent brine (5% brine for beans) -- promptly. Otherwise, the exposed
vegetables might spoil. When the brine level drops and bubbling stops, it is likely that
the fermentation is about finished.

Removing Scum
A white scum will appear on the brine surface within a few days. Remove this scum
repeatedly. If allowed to remain and grow, it will not only use up the acid produced during
fermentation but will give off a bad odor and may spoil the food.
To remove the scum, take the weight and cover off, being careful to avoid mixing the
scum with the brine. Wash the cover and weight and replace them. If scum develops rapidly,
it should be removed every other day.
If scum forms on the brine surface in small containers, such as small mouth jars, skim
it off with a spoon. If the brine level is low and the scum cannot be reached readily, add brine
of the current strength (2½ percent or 5%). The scum will float on the surface and can be
easily removed.

Repacking and Heat Treating

After a fermentation period of about 10 days, it is best to tightly repack the salting
vegetables into clean canning jars and fill to within one-half inch of the top with brine from
the original container. If there is not enough of this brine, make more by adding 1 ounce of
salt to one quart of water. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water bath 25 minutes for pints,
30 minutes for quarts.
For vegetables packed originally in canning jars, remove the cheesecloth and the clean
wooden crosspieces at the end of a 10-day period. Press the food down firmly with a spoon to
release trapped gas bubbles. Then add brine, make as described in Table 4, to within one-half
inch of the top of the jar and put on the lids. Process the jars in a boiling water bath without
repacking – pints 25 minutes and quarts 30 minutes.

Salting and Brining Vegetables 4

Method 2 -- Drying salting with a large amount of salt (up to 20% by weight)

Vegetables to preserve using this method

Corn, lima beans (shelled), okra (cut), peas (shelled)

Preparing the Vegetables

Select high quality raw vegetables. Boil corn 10 minutes to set the milk, then cut from
the cob, but not too close. Shell lima beans and peas. Wash celery and okra thoroughly and
cut crosswise into short lengths. For best results, blanch peas, lima beans, and celery in
boiling water or preferably in steam for 5 minutes before being salted.

Salting Procedure
1. Pack vegetables firmly into containers, mixing evenly 1 pound of salt for each 5
pounds of vegetables.
2. Put a weighted cover on top of the mixture. If the brine formed from salt and
vegetable juice is not enough to rise one inch or more above the vegetables after
weighting down, add strong brine (1½ pounds of salt per gallon of water) until it
covers the vegetables. When packing directly into canning jars, place several layers of
cheesecloth on top of the salted vegetables and hold it under the brine with clean
wooden crosspieces. Add more brine if necessary. Screw the caps on loosely so that
the gas that will form can escape.
3. Process in a boiling water – pints 25 minutes and quarts 30 minutes.

BRINING METHODS

Method 3 -- Brining with a weak brine (5%) plus vinegar

Vegetables that can be preserved using this method

Beets, beet tops, carrots, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, rutabagas, snap beans,
turnips, and turnip greens

Preparing the Vegetables

Select high-quality, raw vegetables. In general, prepare the vegetables by trimming
and cleaning. Wash greens several times to remove all traces of grit. Wash snap beans
thoroughly; they can be left whole or cut in pieces. Blanch 5 minutes in boiling water or
preferably in steam. Cool promptly. The best beans for brining are the varieties used for
canning. Wash carrots and beets but do not slice them. Cut cauliflower into pieces.

Brining Procedure
1. Pack the vegetables firmly in clean food-grade containers until the container is nearly
full. Place a weighted cover on top.
2. Prepare enough 5% brine to cover the vegetables. The amount needed will be about
half the volume of the vegetables packed. In each gallon of water, dissolve one-half

Salting and Brining Vegetables 5

 pound of salt (about ¾ cup of granulated or one cup flaked or medium salt) and 1 cup
of household vinegar (5% acetic acid).
3. Pour the brine over the vegetables until it comes up over the weighted cover. Keep
containers in a cool place.

Removing Scum
Remove repeatedly the scum that appears on the brine surface, following the
directions under the section “Removing Scum” at the top of page 3.

Repacking and Heat Treating

After a fermentation period of about 10 days, repack the fermented vegetables in clean
canning jars for processing in a boiling water bath. Pack jars tightly with the brined
vegetables and fill to within one-half inch of the top with brine from the original container. If
necessary, make more 5% brine, as described under Brining Procedure above.

Method 4 -- Brining with a strong brine (15%) plus vinegar

Vegetables that can be preserved using this method

Cauliflower (whole), lima beans (in pods), okra (whole), onions (preferably silver-skin
type), peas (in pods), and peppers

Preparing the Vegetables

Select high quality, raw vegetables. Wash thoroughly. Over mature peas, lima beans,
and okra will not result in good quality brined products. Remove any dry skin from onions.
Cut off and discard stalk and outer leaves of cauliflower. When brining cauliflower in glass
jars, cut into small pieces. Cut peppers in half and remove core and seeds. (Wear gloves
when handling hot peppers as they can causing a burning sensation in the hands.) Use okra
whole.

Brining Procedure
1. Pack the vegetables firmly into a food-grade container. Put a weighted, solid cover (a
glass plate works well) on top of the vegetables.
2. Prepare a strong brine as follows: dissolve 1½ pounds of granulated salt (2½ cups of
granulated or 3¾ cups of flake or medium) in 1 gallon of water to which 1 cup of
vinegar has been added. The amount of brine needed will be about half the volume of
the vegetables packed.
3. Pour the brine over the vegetables until it comes up over the weighted cover about 2 or
3 inches. Be sure that enough weight has been put on to keep the vegetables under the
brine.
4. In order to maintain the brine strength, extra salt must be placed on the cover.
Otherwise, the brine will become diluted as juice is extracted from the vegetables. For
every 10 pounds of vegetable packed and brined, weigh out 2 pounds of salt (or
measure out 3 cups of granulated or 4½ cups of flake or medium salt). Place the salt
carefully on the cover, under the surface of the brine, where it will dissolve gradually.

Salting and Brining Vegetables 6

 Don’t let salt slip off the edge because this would make the brine too strong at the
bottom.
5. Store the brined vegetables in a cool place and keep the brine level above the cover
with weights, or by adding more 15% brine when necessary.
6. Keep the brine free from insects and scum.

Repacking
Fermentation may cause bubbling for several weeks. After this has stopped, repack
the brined vegetables in clean canning jars. Before repacking lima beans or peas, remove the
pods. Pack the brined vegetables firmly in the jars and fill them to the top with brine from the
original container. If there is not enough of this brine, make up some fresh 15% brine, as
described in Table 4. After filling the jars, adjust the lids. Process in a boiling water – pints
25 minutes and quarts 30 minutes.

Salt Tables
The relationship between the weight of salt (pound or ounce) and volume of salt in
common household measures (cup, tablespoon, or teaspoon) is shown in Table 2. In this
table, as elsewhere in this bulletin, the volume measurements are in level teaspoons,
tablespoons, and cups.
Tables 3 and 4 summarize the information given about the amounts of salt needed to
preserve vegetables using the four methods described.

Salting and Brining Vegetables 7

Table 2. Equivalent weights and volumes of different grades of salt used in dry salting and
brining

Amount of Salt Equivalent in Granulated Equivalent in Flake (dairy) or

Recommended Salt Medium Salt
Weight:
1 ounce 1 T plus 1 t 2 T plus 1½ t
½ pound ¾ cup 1 cup plus 2 T
1 pound 1½ cups 2¼ cups

Measure:
½ cup 5 ounces 3½ ounces
1 cup 10 ounces 7 ounces

Table 3. Amounts of salt to add to 1 pound and 10 pounds of fresh vegetables in dry salting
by weight

Volume of salt required for

1 pound of fresh material Salt required for 10 pounds of fresh material

Granulated salt Medium or On a

flake weight On a volume basis
(dairy) salt basis
Granulated salt Medium or flake
(dairy) salt
% of salt

2½% 2t 1t 4 ounces ½ cup ¾ cup

5% 4t 2T 8 ounces Slightly over ¾ cup Slightly over 1 cup
10% 2 T plus 2 t 4T 1 pound 1½ cups 2¼ cups
15% 4T 6T 1½ pounds 2½ cups 3¾ cups
20% 5 T plus 1 t ½ cup 2 pounds 3 cups 4½ cups

Salting and Brining Vegetables 8

Table 4. Amounts of salt and water to prepare brines of different strengths
Strength of brine

Amount of Salt

Ounces per Ounces Pounds Cups per gallon of water

quart of water per gallon per
of water gallon of
water
Granulated salt Flake or
medium
salt
1% ½ 1¾ 1/10 1/6 ¼
2-1/2% 1 3½ ¼ 1/3 ½
5% 1¾ 7½ ½ ¾ 1
10% 4 16 1 1½ 2¼
15% 6¼ 25 1½ 2½ 3¾
20% 9 36 2¼ 3½ 5¼
26% 12 48 3 4¾ 7

NOTE: When brining vegetables, the amount of brine needed will be equal to about half the
volume of the vegetables after packing. For example, if a 10-gallon crock is to be filled with
brined vegetables, about 5 gallons of brine will be required.

Salting and Brining Vegetables 9