Glossary
Dry salting
Mixing salt directly into shredded or chopped vegetables so they release their own brine, as with classic sauerkraut.
Dry salting is the method most home fermenters start with because it needs very little equipment. Salt is massaged or mixed into shredded vegetables like cabbage, which draws liquid out of the plant cells through osmosis. Within an hour or two of massaging, most cabbage releases enough of its own liquid to form a brine without adding any water at all.
This technique works well for vegetables with high water content and a shreddable texture, such as cabbage for sauerkraut or radish and cabbage mixes for kimchi. A mandoline slicer or cabbage shredder helps produce even, thin cuts that release liquid more readily and pack more tightly into a jar or crock, which reduces trapped air pockets. Packing the shredded vegetables firmly is important so the released brine covers them completely.
A common mistake is under-massaging the cabbage, leaving too little brine to submerge everything, which can lead to dry spots that mold. Another is over-salting in an attempt to be cautious, which can stall fermentation almost entirely. Weighing both the vegetables and the salt, rather than salting by eye, removes most of the guesswork and makes results far more consistent from batch to batch.