Lacto-fermentation: the mystery of salt

A little salt, some vegetables and time turn into kimchi. Salt is the quiet gatekeeper that makes the whole thing work.

The gatekeeper

In lacto-fermentation, salt sets the terms. It creates an environment where the microbes you want, the lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus, can thrive, while the ones you do not want are held back. That is how a jar left on the counter becomes safe, sour and alive instead of spoiled.

What salt does in kimchi

In kimchi, salt draws the water out of the cabbage and vegetables and creates a brine. That brine preserves the texture, keeps unwanted bacteria out, and gives the lactic acid bacteria room to turn the vegetables' natural sugars into lactic acid, which is where the signature tang comes from. We work around a two to three percent salt level.

What salt does in tibicos

In tibicos, our water kefir, salt has a different job. The grains like a mineral-rich environment, and a small pinch of salt gives them the minerals they need to grow and ferment well. Use too little and the grains struggle, and the ferment comes out weak and flat.

Not all salt is equal

Reach for a natural, mineral-rich salt, an unrefined sea salt or rock salt. Ordinary table salt often carries anti-caking agents and added iodine that can interfere with fermentation.

We use mineral-rich mountain salt from the Saline de Bex, here in Switzerland. Visiting the mines was a reminder that every ingredient earns its place, salt included.

Get it wrong and..

Too little salt and unwanted bacteria can move in and spoil the batch. Salt here is not seasoning, it is part of the safety system. When in doubt, follow a tested recipe rather than eyeballing it.

Salt looks like the simplest thing in the jar. It is quietly doing some of the most important work.