How much salt for miso?
The salt names the legumes plus the koji — and the ratio sets how sweet it ages.
The salt names the legumes plus the koji — and the ratio sets how sweet it ages.
salt = (legumes + koji) × the style’s %
The ratio sets the koji against the legumes, the style’s percent salts the two together, and the final salinity is what the jar actually holds — always a little under the percent, because the salt counts itself.
| style | koji ratio | salt | aging |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetest | 3 : 1 | 4.5% | 2–3 weeks |
| Sweet | 3 : 1 | 6% | 2 months |
| Mellow | 2 : 1 | 10% | 6 months |
| Medium | 1 : 1 | 12% | 12 months |
| Salty | 0.5 : 1 | 16% | 24 months |
The five presets the app’s miso scaler runs, the Shockey ratios and percents, with the tasting reminder each one carries.
500 g of cooked soybeans, the Medium preset: koji = 500 × 1 = 500 g; salt = (500 + 500) × 12% = 120 g; the jar’s final salinity = 120 ÷ 1,120 ≈ 10.7%, and the calendar says a year. The miso scaler runs any batch size against all five.