Brine Calculator

Written byOleh Soloninupdated 27 September 2026

Method

Food

Weight of the food, kg

Water, l

Your own brine strength, %

Leave at 0 to use the recommended value.

Sugar, % of the salt

Result

Salt, g140
Brine strength, % of water7%
Salt against water plus food, %3.5%
Rough time24 h
Sugar, gno sugar
Water, l2
Foodlightly salted cucumbers

Percentages instead of spoonfuls

Works out the salt for a wet or dry brine, the salt against water and food together, and a rough brining time.

Recipes measure salt in spoons, but brining is about percentages. A brine's strength is quoted against the water — six percent means 60 g of salt per litre — and that single number is what decides the result, not the size of your spoon.

The food then takes some of that salt on. Once the two sides even out, the food ends up milder than the brine itself, which is why the salt against water and food together is shown separately here — a recipe figure, not the exact salt content of the food.

How to use

Pick wet brining, where the food sits in the liquid, or dry, where salt goes on the surface.
Pick the food: each one carries the calculator's suggested strength and a rough time.
Enter the weight of the food and the volume of water.
Read the salt-against-water-and-food figure alongside the brine strength — a recipe figure rather than the exact saltiness of the food.

What the food choice changes

Each row is a run of this calculator with two litres of water and two kilograms of food. Brine strength and the rough time both come from the food; for vegetables the time does not grow with the batch.

The second figure is the salt divided by the water and the food together. Because the food counts, it always sits below the strength of the liquid — a 6 percent brine gives 3 with equal weights of water and food. It is a recipe figure, not the exact salt content of the food.

Runs of this calculator with two litres of water and two kilograms of food.
Food	Salt in 2 l	Brine strength	Against water and food	Rough time
Chicken and turkey	120 g	6%	3%	4 h
Pork	120 g	6%	3%	6 h
Cucumbers	140 g	7%	3.5%	24 h

What this calculator shows

The salt in grams for the brine strength you choose
The salt against the water and food together
A rough brining time — the calculator's estimate, not a standard

What to keep in mind

Wet brine strength is a percentage of the water, exactly as recipes state it: 6% is 60 g of salt per litre.
Dry brining is a percentage of the food itself — 1 to 1.5% salt, uncovered in the fridge, no liquid at all.

FAQs

How much salt per litre of water?

60 g for chicken and pork, 50 g for beef and fish, 70 g for lightly salted cucumbers. That figure is the brine strength: 60 g per litre is a six percent brine.

Why choose a dry brine?

It does not dilute anything: the meat takes on no extra water, the skin dries out and browns far better. It does need more time and more care with the quantity of salt.

Can food sit in brine too long?

Yes. Meat turns distinctly salty with a ham-like texture, fish goes firm and dry. How long is a matter for a tested recipe, the size of the piece and the temperature: the calculator's time is only a rough guide.

Which salt should I use?

Any non-iodised salt. What matters is that the recipe works by weight: a teaspoon of fine salt outweighs the same teaspoon of flakes by half again.

What is the difference between wet and dry brining?

In a wet brine the food sits in liquid and takes up water along with the salt, so it comes out juicier. In a dry brine the salt goes on the surface, the food loses some moisture, and the flavour ends up denser.

Why is the salt against water and food lower than the brine strength?

Because the salt ends up spread through the brine and the food together. 120 grams of salt in 2 litres of water is 6 percent of the water; with a kilogram of meat it is 4 percent of water and food together (120 ÷ 3,000), with two kilograms 3 percent. That is a recipe figure, not the exact salt content of the food.

Worked example

A 2 kg chicken before roasting

Input: 2 kg chicken, 2 l water, 6%

Output: 120 g salt, 3% against water and food, about 4 hours

Note: Recipes often say 'a tablespoon per litre', but a spoonful of salt weighs differently with the grind and the heap, so weighing is more exact: 6 percent is 60 grams per litre.

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Result

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