Shenny’s homemade gochujang

Let’s talk about gochujang today!

Are any of you guys planning on making gochujang, or are you currently making it now? If you’re interested in makin homemade gochujang, it’s a good time of the year for it.

Summer is usually not a good time to make gochujang because the heat makes it ferment too fast. It’s still possible to make it in the heat, with skill and care, and Shenny, one of my readers, is proof of that. She lives in Texas and made gochujang in July! She took care of it in the hot Texas sun for 3 weeks until it was well fermented, and then moved it into the refrigerator.

She devoted herself to her gochujang project for 1 month, and the result was very happy! Shenny emailed me: “I managed to make my first gochujang successfully, under extreme climate conditions in Texas in summer time.”

So even if you live in a hot country, don’t give up! Take some tips from Shenny and you still can make gochujang at home. Check out my recipe for making gochujang!

 Shenny’s onggi pot

“My gochujang has been in the sun at temperatures of 90 to 110°F (30 to 43°C) since July 17. I put the pot under our big tree where it can get full sun for 3~4 hours before the sun moves to the other side of the backyard. I kept the lid off and carefully covered the onggi with cheesecloth. I moved it inside when the temperature in the yard was 100°F. Even after being in the house for 2 hours, the onggi was still warm and a little hot. After it completely cooled down, I put the lid on over the cheesecloth and left it overnight, to start again the next day.”

“My gochujang fermented completely within 21 days and didn’t explode. I think it’s because I have a bigger pot and half of it was full of air. I stirred it everyday and sampled it too, so I could taste it gradually changing flavor over time. Today I stirred and tasted and it was just right: the sea salt was totally dissolved and the amount of spiciness and sweetness was perfect. I like it not too salty. I put all of the paste into a few different sized plastic containers and now all my gochujang is in the fridge.”

umm~ it looks awesome! Awesome, Shenny!