Vegetable · allium
Strong sulfur compounds mellow during fermentation. Results sweeter and milder than raw. Often fermented as half-moon slices or whole small pearl onions.
Enter your vegetable weight and a salt percentage. We return the exact salt mass in grams, plus teaspoons for each common grain.
Grain matters: one teaspoon of Diamond Crystal weighs half as much as one teaspoon of fine sea salt. Weigh in grams when you can.
| Grain | Grams | Teaspoons | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Crystal kosher | 30 g | 10.56 | 3.52 |
| Morton kosher | 30 g | 6.25 | 2.08 |
| Fine sea salt | 30 g | 5.27 | 1.76 |
| Pickling / canning | 30 g | 5.45 | 1.82 |
Slice thin (3mm) or use whole pearl onions. Cover with 3% brine + 1 bay leaf + 1 tsp coriander seeds per pint. 10-14 days. For mixed ferments, add at 20% of primary vegetable weight.
Source: Cultures for Health — lacto onions. Last verified 2026-05-17.
3.00% by weight is the default for yellow onion (workable range 2.50%–3.50%). For 1000g yellow onion, that's 30.0g salt. Use non-iodised salt and weigh in grams — teaspoon equivalences vary by salt grain. Source: Cultures for Health — lacto onions.
10.0 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 3.80 or below indicates complete primary fermentation.
Slice thin (3mm) or use whole pearl onions. Cover with 3% brine + 1 bay leaf + 1 tsp coriander seeds per pint. 10-14 days. For mixed ferments, add at 20% of primary vegetable weight.
Yellow Onion is a allium vegetable. Strong sulfur compounds mellow during fermentation. Results sweeter and milder than raw. Often fermented as half-moon slices or whole small pearl onions. Preferred fermentation style: brine-pickle, escabeche-component.