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Salt, sodium chloride or NaCl, is a key ingredient for most bacterial ferments.
- Salt inhibits fermentation, and acts as a microbial “bouncer,” regulating which microbes will come to the party.
- More Salt slows ferments, allowing a longer fermentation time. You can use this to your advantage
What kind of salt to use?
Use unprocessed, non-iodized natural sea salt for best results.
Some varieties I like to use when fermenting, which all have unique trace minerals:
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Can I ferment without salt?
Short answer, no.
In styles that call for it (pickling vegetables), omitting salt will result in a microbial free-for-all and will almost certainly get moldy and/or turn to mush.
This does not apply to all styles of fermentation, esp. those which use cultures, e.g. kombucha, kefir, tempeh).
If consuming salt is a concern, you can lightly rinse fermented vegetables under cool water just before consuming. You’ll still get most of the benefits and loads of natural probiotics.
Can I use Whey instead of Salt?
Whey (the liquid part that is strained out during the cheese making process) is nutrient rich and may be probiotic.
It does not serve the same function as salt. They are not interchangeable in a recipe.
Think of whey as a “cherry on top” when fermenting: nice to have but not required for fermentation.
Author and founder of Fermenters Club. I’ve been fermenting food for 14 years.
In 2024, I published my first book, Fearless Fermenting.
When not stuffing things into jars, I enjoy permaculture gardening, cooking, yoga, writing, and studying cosmology and esoteric traditions.
