Example: half a litre is half the salt
For 500 mL water at an example water-based 4%, the model uses 500 g water and calculates 500 × 4 ÷ 100 = 20 g salt. For 2 litres at the same percentage, it calculates 80 g salt.
That proportional shortcut applies to a water-based recipe. If your recipe specifies 4% of the complete salt-and-water solution, 500 g water requires 500 × 4 ÷ 96 = 20.83 g salt. Select the definition before using a reference table.
How much salt goes into one litre?
One litre of water is approximated as 1,000 g. When a recipe defines its percentage as salt divided by water weight, each percentage point means 10 g of salt per litre. For example, 3% means 30 g and 5% means 50 g.
This relationship changes when the percentage is defined against salt plus water. For a 5% solution by weight, 1,000 g of water needs 52.63 g of salt. Choose the definition written in your recipe before weighing anything.
Water-based reference table
| Recipe % | 500 mL | 1 litre | 2 litres | 1 US gallon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | 5 g | 10 g | 20 g | 37.85 g |
| 2% | 10 g | 20 g | 40 g | 75.71 g |
| 2.5% | 12.5 g | 25 g | 50 g | 94.64 g |
| 3% | 15 g | 30 g | 60 g | 113.56 g |
| 4% | 20 g | 40 g | 80 g | 151.42 g |
| 5% | 25 g | 50 g | 100 g | 189.27 g |
| 6% | 30 g | 60 g | 120 g | 227.12 g |
| 8% | 40 g | 80 g | 160 g | 302.83 g |
| 10% | 50 g | 100 g | 200 g | 378.54 g |
Examples only. Values are not recommendations for specific foods. Water volumes use 1 g/mL.
Worked example: two and a half litres
For a recipe specifying 4% of water weight, 2.5 litres of water is approximately 2,500 g. Multiply 2,500 × 4 ÷ 100 to get 100 g salt. The finished mixture weighs 2,600 g, so its solution-based percentage is about 3.85%.
The calculator accepts decimal amounts, so the same method works for 750 mL, half a litre, or a larger container. The container's capacity is not necessarily the amount of water you use: measure the water actually added.
A litre of water is not a litre of brine
Salt changes the mass and volume of the mixture. This tool starts with a measured water amount; it does not calculate the water required to make an exact final volume of brine. Use water mass for the most repeatable result.
The table is arithmetic, not a list of safe percentages for specific foods. Match the amount and basis to a tested recipe.