Lacto-fermenting napa cabbage: 4.00% salt, 5.0days at 68 °F
The standard kimchi base. Napa cabbage has looser, more water-dense leaves than green cabbage. Traditional Korean preparation salts at higher % (3.5-5%) during a pre-ferment brining stage to draw water and soften leaves before the paste is added.
Salt calculator
Enter your vegetable weight and a salt percentage. We return the exact salt mass in grams, plus teaspoons for each common grain.
grams
%
Grain matters: one teaspoon of Diamond Crystal weighs half as much as one teaspoon of fine sea salt. Weigh in grams when you can.
All salt grains
Grain
Grams
Teaspoons
Tablespoons
Diamond Crystal kosher
40 g
14.08
4.69
Morton kosher
40 g
8.33
2.78
Fine sea salt
40 g
7.03
2.34
Pickling / canning
40 g
7.27
2.42
Default salt
4.00 %
Salt range
3.50% – 5.00%
Time @ 68 °F
5.0 days
Target pH
4.00
Water content
~95%
Preferred styles
kimchi baechu, pao cai
Technique
Quarter cabbage lengthwise. Dry-salt at 4% by quarter weight, rest 2-4 hours flipping halfway. Rinse 3x in cold water to remove excess salt. Toss with kimchi paste (gochugaru, ginger, garlic, fish sauce or alternative, carrot, scallion, radish). Pack into jar leaving 2cm headspace. Ferment 3-7 days at 65-70°F then transfer to fridge.
4.00% by weight is the default for napa cabbage (workable range 3.50%–5.00%). For 1000g napa cabbage, that's 40.0g salt. Use non-iodised salt and weigh in grams — teaspoon equivalences vary by salt grain. Source: Maangchi — traditional tongbaechu-kimchi.
How long to ferment napa cabbage?
5.0 days at 68°F (20°C). Cooler kitchens (60-65°F) slow fermentation; warmer kitchens (75-80°F) roughly halve the time per 10°F increase. Start tasting from day 5; target pH 4.00 or below indicates complete primary fermentation.
What's the best technique for fermenting napa cabbage?
Quarter cabbage lengthwise. Dry-salt at 4% by quarter weight, rest 2-4 hours flipping halfway. Rinse 3x in cold water to remove excess salt. Toss with kimchi paste (gochugaru, ginger, garlic, fish sauce or alternative, carrot, scallion, radish). Pack into jar leaving 2cm headspace. Ferment 3-7 days at 65-70°F then transfer to fridge.
What category is napa cabbage for fermentation?
Napa Cabbage is a leafy vegetable. The standard kimchi base. Napa cabbage has looser, more water-dense leaves than green cabbage. Traditional Korean preparation salts at higher % (3.5-5%) during a pre-ferment brining stage to draw wate… Preferred fermentation style: kimchi-baechu, pao-cai.
The kit for fermenting Napa Cabbage
A short, honest kit for lacto-fermentation. The scale is the one that matters most — everything here is by weight.
Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)Salt % is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math above accurate.View on Amazon →
Glass fermentation weightsKeep vegetables submerged under the brine line so they ferment safely without mould.View on Amazon →
Airlock fermentation lidsLet CO₂ escape while keeping oxygen out — wide-mouth lids that fit standard jars.View on Amazon →
Wide-mouth mason jarsThe workhorse vessel for kraut, kimchi and brine pickles — 1 qt and ½ gal sizes.View on Amazon →
Pickling / fine sea saltPure salt with no iodine or anti-caking agents, which can cloud brine and inhibit fermentation.View on Amazon →
Stoneware fermentation crockFor scaling past the jar — a water-sealed crock for 5 L+ batches with built-in weights.View on Amazon →
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