TIL my brine ratio was off by 2% for 4 years and my pickles always tasted flat

I've been doing 3.5% salt by weight since I started fermenting in my kitchen in Austin, and just last week I tested a batch at 5.5% after reading a thread about half-sours. The difference in snap and tang was night and day, and suddenly all those limp batches made sense. What salt percentage do you all use for cucumber ferments, and has anyone else been stuck on one number that long?

2 comments

2 Comments

bell.jessica1d ago

Snap and tang come from time and temp too, so don't toss your old brine, just tweak the salt.

paulnguyen1d ago

Damn, @bell.jessica just changed my mind. I was always starting fresh batches.