Kimchi fermentation

Fermentation of Kimchi depends on your room temperature, and the saltiness of your kimchi.

Mostly, it will take a few days to ferment your kimchi at room temperature. However if you live in a warm country, it may take only 1 day because your room temperature will be higher.

Another factor that affects your kimchi fermentation will be how salty your kimchi is. If your kimchi is made very salty, it will take longer. My grandmother used to add more salt for her winter kimchi that she had to feed all family during winter time (3-4 months).

Hi, I just made my kimchi yesterday for the first time in my life. In Asia, we can just get it from the supermarket easily. Now I live oversea and craving it, I had to make my own. But I have a question, I made it yesterday, and left it in my kitchken then went to sleep, next morning, I found out my husband put the container in the fridge. I tasted the kimchi, it is SALTY! Like very salty compares to the ones I bought from store. Is it suppose to be like that? Or should I take it out again? What should I do? Or Should I just let it sit for a bit longer?

Plz answer my question, I hope I didn’t ruined the whole kimchi.

Thanks

Your kimchi must be made very salty. Did you follow the recipe on my website tightly? Check the comments under my kimchi recipe. You will read so many good tips for making kimchi.

I live in California and I’ve been having trouble trying to find those clay pots that you can store kimchi in. do you happen to know of a website in english that sells it or where i can buy one?

Hi Maangchi,

Thanks for the reply. As I just found your lovely website today so didn’t have much time to read all of the comments and your replies. Actually I did not follow your recipe. I watched this video from youtube and decided to make it yesterday. Maybe I just didn’t follow the video properly.

I surfed online today to see if there is any way to save my kimchi. Then I found here :D

Anyways, I just checked the comments and found the answer I wanted. I will try to put water in my kimchi container.

I also found I made other mistake, I didn’t put sugar in it XD

hopefully my next kimchi will turn out perfect.

Thanks again.

Chiao,
I’m copying and pasting my answer related to salty kimchi that I made for someone else.
“If you already made kimchi and it’s too salty, add more radish to the kimchi. Just cut a few radishes into disks and insert them into the salty kimchi. That’s my way to dilute”

Good luck in making your next batch of kimchi!

I normally put my kimchi jars in the basement (about 65 degrees) for 3 days, but this last time I decided to try 5 days to see what would happen. I’m so happy I did! I opened them today and they were bubbling like crazy! I think this latest batch tastes a lot better than ones I left for only 3 days, and now I’m thinking I might want to leave them sit for 10 days next time.

My recommendation is to just experiment. Try 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, whatever. From what I understand, the longer it ferments, the more sour it tastes. I like the sour flavor, but if you don’t like it that sour, then don’t let it go past 3 days. Also, don’t worry about it going bad. If it does goes bad, you WILL know it when you first smell it. If that happens, throw it away, and next time add some shrimp paste and/or fish sauce to aid the fermentation process. Good luck!!

Hi,Maangchi,can I ask you a question about kimchi,pls?

I sucessfully made raddish kimchi according to your reciept, now the raddish is almost finished, leaving a lot of kimchi juice in my container. I want to make more this weekend, can I put the salt-soaked raddish into the leftover juice instead of making fresh paste? (the juice smells too nice to pour into sink…)

give me a shout when you got a second, thanks a million!

cheers!

dont throw away the juice, but dont put the raddish into the juice either, since it is already fermented and won’t probably ferment any more.

use the juice to marinade meat or make soups. or use it as a condiment for ramyon or something. its orange/yellow gold.

Hi Maangchi,

If the kimchi is too salty, you suggested adding discs of radish in with the kimchi. Does this radish need to be put in salted water or does it just have to be peeled and cut and placed right into the kimchi container?

Thanks!

does it just have to be peeled and cut and placed right into the kimchi container?

Yes, insert the radish disks right into the kimchi.

dorkielala – I know you asked two years ago, but if you are still reading you can find onngi (the clay pots) on http://english.gmarket.co.kr – they sell everything you can’t get outside of Korea and have been very reliable for me – I have bought a sinseollo pan from there, dasik molds, yukgwa molds, and a set of brass royal chopstick/spoon sets – all arrived in NZ in perfect condition and well wrapped.

Hi Maangchi!

Do you think adding a teaspoon or two of live yoghurt to kimchi would accelerate the fermentation?

I just made a batch of “emergency kimchi”, but I used Huy Fong Foods’ Chili-Garlic sauce instead of doing it from scratch, and I’m guessing it’s pasteurized. I don’t know if that will make a difference in the fermentation, but I’m thinking maybe I could add a spoon of yogurt to be on the safe side.

They both use varieties of Lactobacillus, albeit different ones, so maybe it would work? What do you think?

PS: Unfortunately, I can’t find any “live” sauerkraut or kimchi at the store, because they’re also pasteurized.

Absolutely do not add yoghurt!It has dairy proteins which would give very undesirable flavors. Kimchi will ferment naturally. You have to give it time. You need to plan ahead and have patience.

As for the finding “live” kimchi, you wouldn’t be able to use kimchi as a “starter” like you do with sourdough. Simply follow the directions that Maangchi has given, and the kimchi will ferment on its own.

As for the Hoy Fong Chili Garlic paste, that is a chinese product, with totally different types of peppers, flavors and ingredients. Don’t know what you will get, but I don’t think it will taste like kimchi. Kimchi was developed over hundreds of years using specific types of ingredients. Yes, there are hundreds of variations, and lots of substitutions, but I rather think this might not work.

But please do update everyone with how it turns out.

@Ashimi: Huy Fong Foods is Vietnamese, but I get your point.

Regardless, you’re right about giving it time: I just checked and it’s starting to smell like kimchi :)

Maanchi, i need help, what if I do not have radish and my kimchi is too salty, what can I use as a substitute to radish?

Hi Maangchi, my name is Kelly, my hometown in Vietnam, and I am going to make Kimchi when I get home. I will back home this summer; as you know, Vietnam is a hot country specially will hotter in summer. So, do I need to put kimchi box into the refrigerator after i mixed or just left it (the kimchi box) outside (I mean cold place). Also, I have one more question, If I can’t find out the sweet rice flour (chapssal garu) in Vietnam, so what flour can I replace it (sweet rice flour)? I was think buy in here and bring it back, but I think I will have problems if I am carrying it because the police officer will think I am bringing drug :)) it hard for me to bring it back to Vietnam :(.

Hope to see your response soon. Thank you, and have a nice day

@kelly hi i am from malaysia, i think the weather of our country is almost the same! >< i put my kimchi in indoors for 3 days with the fermentation process.. after that u can straight put it into the refrigirator already.. I also cant find the sweet rice flour in the place i live so i used the substitution which is recommended by maachi, the plain flour! Yup, the flour which is used to make noodle and cake! XP

@austintexican: I know you asked this question almost a year ago, but thought I could help if you’re still wondering about using yogurt. You can strain the yogurt by lining a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth or a few layers of paper towels, pouring in regular yogurt (not Greek yogurt, as it has already been strained), then setting the strainer over a bowl in your fridge. After several hours or overnight, the whey will strain out of the yogurt and be collected in the bottom of the bowl and the strained yogurt will remain in the lined strainer. You can put the yogurt aside to use as a healthier alternative for sour cream, in smoothies or to use as you would for Greek yogurt, and the whey that strained out can be used to speed up lactofermented veggies, like kimchi! This can be used in kimchi that you want to make with less salt, since you will only need to ferment it for 1 or 2 days. By using whey, you are adding lactobacilli directly into your fresh kimchi, so less salt is necsessary, since the salt acts to inhibit “bad” bacteria while the lactobacteria are growing over the first few days in traditional kimchi (kimchi made without a starter).

If you do use the whey starter, be sure to taste your kimchi daily to be sure it isn’t getting too sour for your liking too fast. When it reaches the right sourness for your liking, put it in the fridge. When I make kimchi the traditional way, using just veggies, salt and spices, I ferment at room temp for 5 days. When I use whey, it is 2 days, max.

As another poster said you don’t want to add the actual yogurt to your kimchi, because it will spoil and ruin your batch. But the whey is fine to add, and works wonders when you need “quick” kimchi!

If you need any more info using whey as a starter for lactofermented veggies of any kind, you can look up “Nourishing Traditions” recipes online or get the Nourish traditions cookbook by Sally Fallon. Lots of good fermented recipes, and she gives the correct amount of whey to use in your recipes (it isn’t much — maybe a tablespoon in a big batch of kimchi? I can’t remember the exact amount off the top of my head, but you can find it if you google it).

Anyway, hope this helps!! :)

@Emaline904: Thanks!

hi maangchi,

i made kimchi 3 days ago. i packed it into old glass pasta sauce jars and screwed the lid on tightly. i left 2 jars in a dark cupboard in my kitchen, and put the remaining jars in the fridge to ferment more slowly. i unscrewed the lids of the 2 jars left out only once, just to let some of the gases out (but i didn’t open the lid all the way), then screwed them back on. after 2 days, i put the 2 jars into the fridge. today (day 3), i decided to taste some to see how it is doing. well, it is very sour (more than expected after just 3 days?) and tastes kind of carbonated or “fizzy”! the cabbage is also a bit softer than i am used to with store bought kimchi. did i do something wrong? is it still safe to eat? is there a way to get rid of the fizziness (i don’t like it like that).

also, when making kimchi, after packing the kimchi into jars, i found that there wasn’t much kimchi juice (the sauce was more like a paste). i added a bit of brine (salt + water mixed in with the little remaining kimchi juice in the bowl) to cover the kimchi because ir ead that a few other places online (and also, i was worried about the kimchi being exposed to air an going bad in the jar). after a day, i noticed lots of bubbles and the brine seemed to get less liquidy? is this all normal too?

thanks!

helenhelen it sounds to me like your kimchi is fermenting perfectly. When it’s fizzy that means everything is going well.

Maangchi,

I am so glad for your #1 success, you deserve it!!

Anyway, I’m confused about whether or not to use fish sauce and/or squid as an igredient as I’m making large batches and I want it to last as long as possible……….

Is it best not to use fish/animal products if I want maximum life on my kim chee????/ Do the salty fish products speed or slow fermentation time?

If so, are there other ingredients I should us to substitute for best flavor???

Max

I made my first batch of spicy baechu kimchi. It is delicious, but it is VERY SALTY! I used a Korean sea salt to salt the cabbage, and I let it sit overnight in the refrigerator, so it was 24 hours before I rinsed it. I am thinking this is probably why. Is there a rule about how long cabbage should be salted or what kind of salt should be used?

I have the same problem as Dan but in my case it was because I bungled the instructions and put way too much salt. I’ve been trying to troubleshoot this first kimchi batch of mine ever since. I followed Maangchi’s recommendation to add more veg, but because I had no more radish I julienned a carrot and a red apple and mixed it in. It helped a bit, but then I had too little juice!!! I tried to push the veggies down under the liquid but I had too little liquid…

Thank goodness for this thread. I saw Maangchi’s advice not to add water which I was VERY tempted to do. Then I saw Emaline904’s experiment with whey and a light bulb went off!!

I know not many people out there make water kefir, but just in case you do, and land in the same pickle as me, pour it in! It is fermented and full of great lactobacillus so unless it has strange reactions with the salt, it should boost the fermentation process.

I just added about half a quart of water kefir a few hours ago. I shall add an update later on how my experiment turned out.

I messed around with the recipe too much this time. Not a smart thing for a first-timer to do. Will adhere to instructions strictly next time.

Hi Dan, I think Maangchi’s recipe said soak 4 hours in the salt?

Hi, Several recipes show individuals fermenting kimchi in mason jars topping it off with water as if they were pickling pickles. I’m curious as to why many traditional kimchi’s don’t ferment with water, does it spoil without it? According to some sources, keeping the kimchi submerged in water prevents it from going bad as bacteria won’t have air that way.

Also, some pepper flake and sediments have seem to turned dark brown or black at the edges of the container, making me think they’ve oxidized, do I need to restart my batch of kimchi?

Should I brine the other vegetables in salt water as well before mixing it all together?

Akarashi, there are indeed kimchis that are submerged in water – I think they are called “water kimchis,” for example Dong Chi Mi and Baek Kimchi. Both are delicious and Maangchi has recipes for them. I love them, particularly because the broth they produce. Here you go:

Dongchimi (radish water kimchi)

https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/baek-kimchi

I may be wrong, but in my opinion, cold-fermented kimchi cannot be beat by room-temperature fermented kimchi. I think it has to do with the type of culture that grows in different temperatures. Room-temperature kimchi has always had a weird cheese-like flavor I dislike. Fermenting in a fridge will take more than a week but worth it in my opinion.

Yesterday i tried to make the traditional kimchi you posted in your blog and i eat right away yesterday! Although not sour yet but still nice. Then i store them in some plastic container in the refrigerator. However today i went to see them, the kimchi containers are full of water inside, which yesterday dont have. Is that normal? Or any step i did wrong?

Hello Maangchi
I have a big problem with my kimchi it’s the Third time i made my kimchi but this time i made i more quantite of kimchi and i have a big problem 2 of my three boxes of kimchi have rotten and i don’t the reson. But normaly my kimchi is very good. I love your recepis what kind of plastic contener do you use?
For the kmchi is oky if i don’t put in the refrigertor but i left in a temperet dark room?

Please help:(
I made my kimchi yesterday and it looks like it does not have enough sauce? How do I fix it? Should I just pour the newly made sauce into it?

Hi Maangchi,

I had made your pogi kimchi recipe to the dot. However my pasted didnt seem enough for my two heads of napa cabbage maybe because I only had 1 cup of hot pepper flakes. Anyway, as soon as I made the kimchi I put them in container and put them in the refrigerator and start eating it, is that OK? Can I still take it out of the refrigerator and ferment – I like it to be fermented but I am afraid it will go bad, this is my first time making this..

I have the same question as SarahR, after making and placing kimchi in ziplock bag, followed by plastic box, I only left box at room temperature (31 deg Celsius) for about 1 hour before placing in fridge.

When I tasted it today (Day 4), kimchi tasted okay and still crunchy and spicy, but kimchi juice is not fizzy and sour and cabbage not shrivelled. Only the sour smell from the box permeating my fridge. Is my kimchi fermenting?
If not, how long more should I wait b4 eating?

Also, when I follow recipe for easy kimchi (for 1 head/1.2kg of napa/chinese cabbage), the porridge was very sticky and not translucent when cooking. Resulted in a very thick kimchi paste. Is that ok?

Lately when my new kimchi gets dry, ive been adding bottled water. Just enough to cover the top. It appears to me this only happens when i put the kimchi in the fridge a little soon.

The other option is unpasteurized Kraut juice with no preservatives added. It hard to find in stores but simple to make. Use it with caution because it can be salty.

Try leaving it out another day. Fermentation slows down a lot in the fridge. Using the plastic fermenting containers with the inner lid seems to help too. Push it down tight against the kimchi.

Hi EvilGrin, thanks for your advice. Just to confirm, it is okay to put the container in a hotter environment after its been in the fridge? Am concerned cos my kitchen is like 31 deg C…

Thats a bit warm but it will be fine for a day. Ive made kraut and let it set outside the fridge for a week.

There is also a Lactobacillus plantarum culture you can buy that greatly speeds things up. You just mix it with 1/2 cup of warm bootled water and any sugar source for about 30 minutes. It contains NO SALT so it wont alter anything except how fast it ferments.

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/caldwell-starter-culture-for-fresh-vegetables.html

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/body-ecology-starter-culture.html

Cutting Edge Starter Culture for Fresh Vegetables

They are not really needed but can help a great deal if you are in a hurry. They produce high levels of lactic acid which inhibits bad bacteria from growing. They are also useful if you wish to lower sodium content in your lacto fermentation. Its what i use to make VERY low sodium kraut juice.

Hi maangchi, we tried making kimchi after tasting it after a day of fermentation, it has a bitter after taste. Have we have our kimchi wrong?

Cabbage can be slightly bitter at first. It will mellow as it ferments.

what if i open the container that i put kimchi ? not wrong right?

Hi maangchi I just made kimchi but I skipped the baby fermented shrimp and fish sauce ingredients I was wondering if that is okay or should I have substituted it with something else. Also when I made the kimchi paste it turned out a little thicker than yours in the video should I add some thing to make it thinner.

Hi Maangchi,
I’ve been making kimchi for a few years now and it’s always been crispy but the last batch the cabbage was very soft! Would you know why that happened? It’s been driving me crazy!

hi maangchi! I have a question, we made kimchi last sunday and we immediately put it inside the ref.. will it still ferment even though we did not let it in room temperature for 1 day??? hope to hear from you soon.. =)

Kimchi can ferment in the fridge but it may take much longer. I had one batch mold on me that i put in the fridge too soon.

Hi, I just made my first kimchi, I was told the longer it fermented, the more it taste good, I planned to fermented the whole weekend and this is the 3day I fermented the kimchi, when I check and taste the flavour its become tardy, yesterday and before it was taste fine, I kept it on sealed thigh container and room temperature (but I live in tropical countries and this past 3 day temperature has been little hot) occasionally I open it up and stir it for so the seasoning coat more evently, after the shocking taste, I immediately put it in the fridge, so anybody could tell me how to dillute the tardy taste, not to mention I had a very high hope with this napa cabbage kimchi. Sob..

hi… is kimchi safe for high blood pressure? because it’s usually taste salty, i think it may cause higher blood pressure.

Hello, I was just wondering if I can follow this recipe exactly the same and replace the Napa cabbage with spring onion? And also cucumber? And Raddish?

Will I still be able to keep it as long as the Napa cabbage in the fridge?

Radish and carrot keep well but im not sure about the cucumber. It may get a little soft.

Pa-kimchi is green onion kimchi. I think its intended to be served more on the fresh side than well fermented. I use a lot of green onion in my regular kimchi and it holds up well in the fridge.

Hi Maangchi,
I recently made kimchi according to your traditional kimchi recipe! It was quite fun! I finally tasted it after three weeks. To my surprise, it was very very sweet – as if it was soaking in sugar water. I’m pretty sure I followed your recipe closely and didn’t add an excessive amount of sugar.. Do you know what might have gone wrong?! Thanks!!

Halo everyone.. Halo maangchi.. Thanks for your easy lovely recipe.. I put my kimchi to fridge right away after i made it yesterday. And today i put iy outside since i searching and find that what i did was wrong. Now im afraid to open the jar. What shpuld i do.. Pit the kimchi back to fridge or make it ferment outside. And if i put it in the fridge how long i have to wait and the outside take how long? Please help me. Thankyou

Hi, Maangchi. I am Li Min from Malaysia. My wife loves your show very much and you teach us a lot about Korean cooking.

We had try to make a batch of traditional kimchi but after 3 weeks we found that there is a light bitterness when we eat the kimchi. Do you mind to tell us what is the mistake we made during the making process? Thanks a lot.

Hello Maangchi!
I got tired of eating terrible Chinese made kimchit so I made my own by your recipe. My kimchi turned really watery and I forgot to add fish sauce. Today while I was pouring and flipping kimchi jiuce over added fish sauce in it. Also paste was not enough maybe I didn’t distributed evenly. How can I make my cabbage dry before I blend in the paste? In Korea most places used sea salt. Is there big difference between kosher and sea salt?
Thank you. Sincerely,Z!

I watched your video on kimchi, and you said your mother would make lots of kimchi at one time. How long did that kimchi last? Was it all kept in a refrigerator?

First, you don’t really need a clay pot for the kimchi, restaurant quality plastic or big glass jars work well. I’ve used clay pots but it’s nice to be able to see the kimchi through something clear. Also, if your fermenting spot is at less than a constant 72 degrees (65-72 is really good) you can let it go for a week to 10 days even more so long as it doesn’t start to go mushy. The longer you let it go so long as it doesn’t go above 72 the more sour it will become. Longer fermentation also mellows out any strong flavors i.e. garlic. Eventually everything becomes pretty much one. Taste it everyday after the 3rd day to see where’s at- When it gets to where you like it, refrigerate it. Also, as the cabbage soaks up the liquid, you may have to add water to cover it, so it’s not like you have to actually put a weight on it so long as there is liquid up to the top plus, the extra liquid allows the vegetables to be more suspended and have extra space for fermenting. I’ve made numerous batches at my little restaurant and it keeps forever if handled properly and your are good and clean when you make it and retrieve it for eating. Try sauerkraut, it works the same way and all you need is salt and cabbage. Mine is not traditional I use red cabbage and Julienne it.

Hi maangchi!

I’ve been making kimchi using your recipe but last night, i left my salted cabbages too long. The sauce is perfect but the cabbage is too salty 😭 I saw one of your answers about how to lessen the saltiness but my kimchis saltiness is not from the sauce but from the cabbage itself! How can i fix this? 😭😭😭

Hi maangchi
I made kimchi yesterday I fallow the right ingredients for 10lbs.
But I think it’s not ferment.its taste a little bitter
And I think my brine is not good.because when I brine the leaves turn to transparent especially the leaves part and when I mix it with chili sauce it’s turn brown.they said it’s not healthy.and it’s not wilty it’s stay fresh because the long I brine it the leaves turn to transparent color.so I wash it and tast it it’s still crunchy and nothing taste of salt.and I exposed the chili sauce for 20-30 minutes.and after a day kimchi has a clear liquid why is that what do I do for that? is that ok?and I make kimchi watery I didn’t drained the cabbage.ty hope u answer me.godbless

My kimchi is 2old days and a little bit sour and tast good.but I try to add raw sugar and salt.bcs I thinks it’s more flavoerfull.buts it’s taste different .it is good to add sugar infermenting kimchi?what possible happen later on to the kimchi?tnx everyone.

Hi Maangchi! i just made 3 lbs of kimchi last 2 days but i put it in the fridge. now i was thinking if i can still ferment it to make it A Lit sour. is that possible???

Hi Maangchi! I made my first batch of kimchi three days ago. I let it set out for two days and I tasted it and thought it was fermented enough so I put it in the fridge. The next day when I tasted it I realized that it wasn’t fermented enough for my liking. Can I set it back out and let it ferment for another day? Or do I need to leave it in the fridge and wait?

Dear Maangchi,

My name is Lysa and you have inspired me to make a lot of good korean food since I was in high school. One of the recipes I follow the most is your Kimchi recipe. Thank you so much for everything. You motivate me to become a better cook in Korean cuisine :)

How long can the kimchi be salted before it is added with kimchi paste?

I’m trying to look for articles regarding light sensitivity in fermenting kimchi. Can I ask if it’s really necessary to ferment the kimchi in a dark container or in a dark place? Does light affect the fermentation process and the kimchi’s taste?

Hiii soo I started selling kimchi! Thanks to you! But I have a question about fermentation, I sell my kimchi 5 days from the start of fermentation but I usually put it first in a large container before putting it in the packaging after 5 days. Should I put the kimchi in the packaging right after I make the kimchi or is it better to ferment them altogether? Thank youuuuuu. PS Attached is the packaging I am using- 300g and 500g pack

It could be that the cabbages are left in salty water longer than Maangchi has suggested or perhaps, not washed salt off thoroughly enough? I was always very reluctant to make Kimchi and always bought them from Korean supermarkets as making Kimchi appeared a very complex process. However, I took a day off (ha ha) just to follow EXACT Maangchi’s recipe to minute, and voila, the result was unbelievable. It was nothing like store bought, which is generally very expensive, and for taste, it’s incomparable to home made, esp. with Maangchi’s recipe. I’ve made several time so far: it gets easier and I don’t have to take a day off to make Kimchi, and results are always consistent. Just follow the recipe closely. Thank you, Maangchi!!

Hi
I’ve started making my homemade kimchi yesterday and after that I put straight away in the fridge and the next day I can’t resist but to give it a try. While eating, I searched in Google how long to ferment kimchi. And I realized what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t put it in the fridge straight away and I should wait for atleast a week to eat it. My purpose why I made kimchi is the good benefits of it. My question is, is it ok not to add sugar on the paste? Because I am trying to avoid sugar consumption. Not adding sugar does affect the fermenting process?

Hi,
I have already made kimchi a few times now and it works wonderfully. I have two of these 10l kimchi boxes and since our fridge is relatively small, I now thought about storing the kimchi outside on the windowsill. The temperatures here are between +10°C and -4°C. Is it harmful when the temperatures fluctuate like this? And especially when it freezes?
I would be very grateful for a few tips!
Marthe

Hi Maangchi. Can I ask you some question? What should I do to very riped kimchi? Bcs it’s already too sour and not really crispy anymore. It’s almost 3 month in refrigerator. Thank you! I’ll wait your respond 😊

Hii Maangchi always says u can use ripe kimchi to do stews, pancake, soup, fried rice basically many things!

Kimchi fermentation is a temperature-dependent process. It ripens in 1 week at 15 °C but takes only 3 days at 25 °C. Low temperature (2–6 °C) is nevertheless preferred in kimchi fermentation to prevent the production of strong acidity and overripening, as well as to extend the period of optimum taste.

The latest kimchi base I bought turned out not to be as salty as the one I used before. Is it possible to add more salt to the kimchi (like e.g. 3 days) after the fermentation has started, without ruining the process?

hi, personally i set kimchi aside for 3-4 days, never wondered if this is true, but i can add a little salt after it has already started to ferment. if it seems to me that the salt is not enough. In general, I don’t even remember when the last time I cooked. Now I only seem to be working huh

Hi everyone

My first batch kimchi is done
And fermented around 12days
But now i open it and taste it
It taste too salty, what solution can i do to solve it?

And i have wash my hands and touch the kimchi paste it feel like have granular feeling…
It is too much salt?

Before i ask here i also put some sugar into kimchi and mix it…

But i dont know this is correct or not?

forgot to say
my kimchi version is vegetarian style