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Does kimchi go bad?

Home › Forums › Korean food discussion › Does kimchi go bad?

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    • February 2, 2019 at 11:50 am #80667
      Curriedcabbage
      Participant

      Hi all!

      I just made kimchi for the first time and I made A LOT of it. I’m excited because I never considered making my own before.

      When I bought kimchi at the Korean market previously, it always has an expiration date… But I have heard several people say it can ferment forever if something doesn’t go wrong. So, which is it? If it smells ok, is it good indefinitely?

      Thank you!

    • February 2, 2019 at 7:43 pm #80673
      Spchips
      Participant

      Not really. While fermenting, Once it gets where you like it, refrigerate (or put in a 40 to 50 degree room if it’s winter.)

      Refrigerated kimchi will last a very long time. 6 months easy.

      I think the “go bad” bacteria and fungus don’t do well with low temps and the kimchi environment.

    • February 2, 2019 at 8:18 pm #80675
      Helen0705
      Participant

      Im Korea, we got special refrigerator called ‘kimchi nangjango( najango means refriegerator in Korean). We korean usually put in them cuz it was made and specialized for kimchi temps.

      Actually there is no exiration date for Kimchi. It is fermented food and it only tastes sour when it lasts long and smell different compared to fresh made kimchi.

      • February 10, 2019 at 8:28 am #80738
        flowerlady24
        Participant

        Hello,

        When in Korea, we ate dinner with our Korean family. The Kimchi was three years old, and of course it was the best I have ever tasted. Do you think it would be possible to keep Kimchi in a Korean crock in Michigan if it was buried in the ground? Do you know if having the Kimchi refrigerator the only option to keep Kimchi for a few years?

        gomabseubnida

        Thank you!

    • February 3, 2019 at 2:25 pm #80683
      EvilGrin
      Participant

      Ive had lots of kimchi that was over 6 months old. I never had it spoil in the refrigerator as long as it was sour first. My market sells 2yr old kimchi sometimes. Very hard to find and expensive.

    • February 10, 2019 at 7:05 pm #80768
      EvilGrin
      Participant

      Just put it in a Mason jar in the fridge. I have not had any go bad yet once its sour. Bad bacteria pretty much wont grow in a low pH environment especially if there is minimal air space in the jar.

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