Authentic Homemade Korean Kimchi Recipe | The Dimple Life (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade kimchi need to ferment? ›

Ferment! Option 1: Kimchi may be placed in refrigerator so it ferments slowly over 3 to 4 days. This may be preferred, especially during hot weather. Option 2: Place sealed container in a well-ventilated location (may become pungent), with a relatively constant room temperature, around 68° F is ideal.

How Is Kimchi Made? Cabbage kimchi is made by lacto-fermentation: Stage one: Nappa cabbage is soaked in a salty brine that kills harmful bacteria. Stage two: the remaining good bacteria (Lactobacillus) convert sugars into lactic acid, preserving the vegetables and giving them their tangy flavor.

Why make your own sauerkraut/kimchi? There are so many reasons! COST: making your own fermented veggies is WAY cheaper than buying them at the store! FLEXIBLE FLAVORS AND SALT LEVEL: making your own fermented veggies allows you to put whatever ingredients, flavors, level of salt or hot pepper that you want.

Kimchi spoilage and over-fermentation

It will continue to ferment at a cool temperature. If kimchi over-ferments, it will have a very vinegary odor and taste. It is not pleasant to eat raw, so it is often used for soups and stews. If any fermentation gets soft and slimy, then it is a sign of spoilage.

It continues to ferment as it ages, becoming sourer and softer — which may render it unappealing.

But if you're looking to whip up a dish with Kimchi, we recommend using fermented Kimchi because it has a stronger flavour. If you need your Kimchi to ferment faster you can leave it out of the fridge for a couple of hours.

Forty-three percent of Korean households still make kimchi at home, while the remaining 52 percent purchase it at stores or get it from their acquaintances.

With only 23 calories per cup, kimchi is a low-calorie food. It also contains fiber, which can help you feel full and ward off hunger. One small study found that eating kimchi as part of a monthlong diet helped people with overweight or obesity shed weight and body fat. Eating kimchi may also prevent weight gain.

Tip: It's important not to open the jar during the fermentation process to prevent exposure to oxygen.

*The beauty of kimchi is you can use any vegetables you have on hand. They can be either fresh or on the softer side. Here are some of our favourites: nappa cabbage, carrots, green onions, cauliflower and bok choy.

Why is my kimchi not good? ›

Kimchi should be stored in the fridge as chilling is the only thing that keeps its level of fermentation (i.e. the activity of those happy little probiotics) slowed down. If you leave kimchi outside of the fridge, over time it will become over-fermented and won't taste so great anymore.

I want to take a moment here to emphasize that selecting the right type of salt for kimchi is incredibly important. Natural sea salt is the salt of choice for most Koreans making kimchi, but I've found that kosher salt is a very good substitute.

So, always refrigerate your kimchi, unless you like it really sour, and if you leave it out at room temperature, good luck. Because you might need it.

The white spots are yeast, not mould

According to a study by the World Institute of Kimchi (yes there is!!!) and published in the Journal of Microbiology, those white colonies are actually yeast that's not known to be toxic. It's however recommended that you remove the whites, wash and cook the kimchi before consuming.

Homemade kimchi must be kept refrigerated and will last for up to 1 month. Store-bought kimchi that remains unopened can be kept at room temperature for 1-3 months. If you have store-bought kimchi that's been opened, it will be good for 3-4 days at room temperature and up to 6 months when refrigerated.

If it smells sour or looks bubbly, you've already got some fermentation going. You probably don't need to let it sit at room temp for more than a few hours (unless you like it really sour).

While you can start eating your kimchi as soon as it is made, Korean Bapsang says it takes about two weeks for the flavor to fully mature. Even after two weeks, you can leave your kimchi in the refrigerator and it will continue to ferment and develop its flavors.

If you would like to speed this up, then you can either raise the temperature slightly to speed up the process, or take even more care and time to remove any excess salt from your cabbage. This will lower your overall salt content, and should allow the Kimchi to ferment faster.

Kimchi takes about a week to ferment. Once it's done, store in a cool place. The tradition is to bury it, but you can stick it in the fridge. You can let kimchi ferment for longer, but it will become softer and sourer over time.