Reply To: Made Kimchi Twice and Both Times Was Not Sour

Hello karenaj,
I’m sorry to read that you had to throw it out.
I’m not an expert but maybe you should have been a bit more patient, the sourness is a question of personal taste.
Personally I don’t really like fresh kimchi but I love sour kimchi so I only can start eating a new batch of kimchi at least 1 week after I made it… and even 1 week after it only begins to taste sour according me.
Fermentation is the first step, sourness will appear gradually.
It is an other problem if your kimchi doesn’t start its fermentation. As Maangchi said,if you see bubbles when you press the kimchi it’s ok !
Fish sauce and fermented shrimps give a flavour and maybe accelerate the fermentation but you can do without it. If I’m not wrong, the main ingredient for fermentation is sugar (the good bacteria needs sugar at first).
The container can also be a source of problem if it’s not airtight enough.
Last point, unless you have a very sensitive skin, try to make kimchi whith your bare hands. When I make kimchi I feel like it helps to bring it to life (just my opinion, not a statement :))
I hope the third time you make kimchi will be ok!