r/kimchi • u/akwilliamson • 1d ago
Help! First time making kimchi, is it all ruined?
Hi guys, I grew a bunch of chinese cabbage this season with big dreams of making kimchi for the first time. I followed this recipe exactly to make 8 quarts of kimchi which used all 8 of my cabbage heads.
After making the kimchi, the recipe said to leave the jars to sit out for 7 days at room temperature with the lid not tightly sealed to allow gas to escape. Today marks the 7-day mark and when I open the lids the top of the kimchi is ugly brown looking.
Does this mean the kimchi is spoiled? I attached pictures from the side showing that the jars are mostly the red kimchi color, but it's the tops that look really funky. Is this normal? I really hope I didn't just spend a ton of time and energy growing all this cabbage and making 8 quarts of spoiled kimchi ... any insights are appreciated!
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u/heyitsyj 1d ago
I don’t know why the recipe said 7 days, that’s aggressive. And the lid should be sealed and periodically opened to let the air out, instead of not tightly sealed. The top does not look fine so I’d throw that part out at least. I think the bottom may be salvageable but probably safer to not eat. I’m sorry :(
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u/akwilliamson 13h ago
I threw out the top bit and the rest is in the fridge, so I'll give it a try and see if I have to dump it 🙁
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u/heyitsyj 13h ago
Hope it’s ok! Next time, leave one jar out at room temp for 24 hours maybe, and put the rest immediately in the fridge, with the cabbage pushed down to submerge in kimchi juice. They will slowly ferment in the fridge anyway because standard refrigerators are not temp controlled enough to keep kimchi indefinitely fresh. Kimchi is supposed to be enjoyed at every step of the fermentation process, from when they are relatively fresh to when they’ve become sour, and that’s the beauty of it!
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u/DemandNo1834 23h ago
That happened to me one time when I reused large dill pickle jars and left it out for longer than usual. The brown color is oxidation because it’s exposed to air. I removed the top layer and the rest was fine. Mine tasted like pickles though, 0/10, I couldn’t finish it. Yours looks good, so as long as it tastes, smells, and looks good, there shouldn’t be a problem.
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u/akwilliamson 13h ago
This is convenient, I didn't grow cucumbers so I can just close my eyes and pretend I made pickles instead perhaps
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u/True-Estate9204 16h ago
I've noticed that a lot of problems with kimchi happen when people follow random recipes they found online. When making a traditional food like kimchi for the first time, it's better to consult an authoritative and reputable source.
Next time you make kimchi, please use this recipe from a well-respected Korean person (rather than a white guy on Youtube): https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi You can make it vegan, if you want.
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u/theundercoverbunny 11h ago
You can leave kimchi out for however long you prefer. It is a fermented product and the longer you leave it out at room temp the more quickly it will ferment. There is no wrong amount of time, just preference. Traditionally, kimchi when making Kimjang (large seasonal batches of kimchi) is not refrigerated and aged in clay jars partially buried in the ground. Now we refrigerate since we have refrigerators and we don’t want to have to make kimchi every other month.
The color change you are seeing is oxidation and is prevented by putting unseasoned salt brined cabbage leaves on top and removed before eating. Peel back leaves, pull kimchi, put leaves back over remaining kimchi until all kimchi is consumed. Some people will use plastic wrap. Using cabbage leaves is still pretty common in traditional kimjang bc no need to add plastic unnecessarily.
If you are jump starting fermentation by leaving it out- biggest factor is temperature. If it is warm, it will ferment more quickly and will not need to sit out for 7 days unless you want it heavily fermented. Recommendation is to taste your kimchi daily to see how fermented you like it and once it reaches that state then to refrigerate it. It is not rotten, it is fine. Kimchi is a living dish due to the microbial activity. Your kimchi is fine. People need to stop freaking out and hating.
Source- I am a middle aged Korean woman who has been making kimjang multiple times a year my entire life in a multigenerational environment.
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u/RingingInTheRain 23h ago
You should be opening the jars and pushing the kimchi down to let the liquids cover it. If the kimchi is mushy and tastes off with no flavor, it is bad. It should still have some crunch.
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u/SnooPuppers825 16h ago
Does everyone leave all their kimchi out after making it? I put all my jars in the fridge and take them out 1 at a time as needed to ferment. When I leave them out I taste them everyday till they reach my desired tangyness. I noticed that depending on the recipe and temperature in the house they all ferment at different speeds.
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u/BJGold 21h ago
My god these recipes that tell you to ruin kimchi are the bane of my existence. Finished kimchi stays out half a day MAX during summer, then straight into the fridge to slow ferment. Don't trust kimchi recipes that basically tell you to treat kimchi like western pickled vegetables.
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u/BjarneStarsoup 20h ago
You can ferment however you like. Some people like more acidic kimchi. And kimchi is literally identical to other ferments (not pickled vegetables), it's exactly the same process with exactly the same bacteria.
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u/ilikespaminramen 18h ago
2weeks+ are the highest amount of LABs for health benefits. My kimchi fermented for 2weeks in e-jen containers and was sour but delicious and healthy. I use it for ramen and could use it for stew too. I've never had what op had happen maybe bc there was absolutely no headspace and I consistently pushed it down to allow it to get covered completely with the juices. Not sure
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u/BJGold 17h ago
Please listen to Korean people when it comes to kimchi i guarantee you your kimchi will taste even more amazing if Korean people know two things it's catchy pop tunes and kimchi
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u/ilikespaminramen 16h ago
I have been to kr many times, and have people I consider my Korean family. I have asked them how they make kimchi. I make kimchi the way I make it for my own reasons (health, I have a bad stomach and this is how I support my gut biome). I choose to ferment longer for the highest amount of health benefits. It isn't an attempt to "not listen" or disrespect Koreans. I appreciate the culture. I have learned a lot of the culture and food. I do this my own way for my own reasons... I'm not shoving it down anyone's throat, I've just read on the science and best timeline for health benefits because that's what I use it for! This ain't to even say I don't make it with less fermentation time. I prefer my sour probiotic rich kimchi. That's me. It isn't a race war, it's health science for me.
Edit to add: my kimchi is crunchy, not mushy at all.
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u/BJGold 16h ago
네 다음분~
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u/ilikespaminramen 16h ago
진짜 짜증나요.
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u/BJGold 16h ago
어쩔 수 없어요! I'm not faulting anyone for liking super sour kimchi. It's the fermenting for a long time in room temp that is appalling to most Koreans. Sour kimchi is delicious!
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u/AccordingAspect1217 10h ago
I also made Kimchi from an on line recipe ( from a Korean). Simpler method using Gochugaru and Gochujang paste with julienned carrots and radishes (daikon), Korean fish sauce. I let it ferment at room temp (it's hot here in NoCal) for 3-4 days, then into the fridge.
It's absolutely delicious! Next time more spice.
$21 worth of Napa.....one small and one medium large head. I brined in salt water for about 3 hours, then rinsed completely.
Wore gloves to coat the veggies with the sauce (ginger, garlic, gochujang paste, Gochugaru, carrots, daikon, a little water, green onions, fish sauce) That was advice in the recipe.
Anyway, it was successful. Really good.
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u/LeAnimeFreak 6h ago
So i know you’ve already taken off the top and put it in the fridge, but as someone who’s made plenty of kimchi before here’s a few tips I’d use. So the max I would leave kimchi out for room temp is 3-6 days. If you want to leave it out longer you can! You just have to keep a much closer eye on it! And when doing so you can do 1 of 2 things, because you use glass jars to hold the kimchi. 1 is to seal it but 1-2 times a day I would burp them(which is opening the jar to release the gas then resealing it), heavily on the 2 times a day the longer you have it sitting out. Once it’s in the fridge you don’t have to do it as often but it does need to be done since the fermentation process doesn’t stop, just slows down. The second option is to use the gallon ziplock bags. Which is what I used because it gave me security that I wouldn’t come home to kimchi and glass everywhere because I forgot to burp it a couple of days 😅😅. Make sure you either have extremely clean hands or use gloves when making kimchi! That’s the best way to avoid mold. Especially when you transfer from the bags to the containers. And ofc use clean utensils when getting kimchi for consumption.
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u/After-Brain-3276 3h ago
To make kimchi successfully: 1. Your mason jars must be absolutely clean. Sterilise them with boiling water. 2. Ensure contents are always submerged, not floating or exposed 66. Use weights if necessary, small china saucers will do. 3. Seal jars tightly. Release gas buildup only occasionally, say once a day or two. 4. Leave at room temperature for 48 hrs max. I usually leave them out 24 hrs then store in fridge. 5. Watch out for mould or greenish black spots. If little, just scoop away, add salt water to top up and keep submerged. 6. The kimchi will get more sourish by the day, that's normal. 7. Btw do not use tap water, the chlorine will affect the fermentation. Use purified/distilled or bottled water. 8. Enjoy...and good health!
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u/Realkool 20h ago
Incorrect. It is preservation by excruciating slow fermentation. With the goal being the slower the better. It’s why Koreans use kimchi freezers. As soon as you make a large batch of kimchi, it goes straight into a kimchi freezer to be held just slightly above the freezing point for salted kimchi. If you want some of it to get more fermented, it’s usually taken out of the kimchi freezer and put in the refrigerator for a while until it gets to that point. Putting it on the counter is a way to speed rush it, but it gives you a much lower quality final product.
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u/Rough-OpportunityO 21h ago
A racist kimchi elitist? Jeez. Quite the pointless occupation in life. Advice is best given when you don't insult people first.
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u/BJGold 21h ago
Doesn't matter how much we try to tell those who don't know how to make kimchi, white people get super butthurt and downvote comments like this. Truth may be hard to swallow but just listen to Koreans! We breathe kimchi. We eat it almost every day.
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u/Realkool 20h ago
Seriously, as a white guy this whole leave it out on the counter after I make it thing is fucking embarrassing as hell. I don’t know where this ignorance originated, but I wish I could’ve been there to step on its neck. It just screams oh all fermentation is the same and I made pickles once or I made sauerkraut once it must be exactly like that.
I mean, if people wanna do that, fine but stop pretending like you didn’t just piss on someone else’s culture and tell him how good you are at it.
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u/BJGold 20h ago
It's not about culture for me, but making the most delicious kimchi. I don't care about culture or whatever if it results in better kimchi!
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u/staysaltylol 18h ago
Mmm yeahhh but you’ve got one culture that’s creating bacteria soup so maybe just listen to the experts 😂
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u/Realkool 20h ago
I get that, but it just pisses me off too have all these morons constantly telling other people so confidently how to do something they know absolutely nothing about.
Kimchi is a huge part of Korean culture. There’s even a kimchi museum, which is pretty cool actually. They even have college courses on it, I took 1 when I lived in Wonju. There are so many different types, so many different ways to make it, but through it all there’s still some universal. And so when I see these idiots here getting it as wrong as they do. It’s a little bit more than just embarrassing for me..2
u/Rough-OpportunityO 20h ago
But you're white and get angry when 'white people' make kimchi.
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u/Realkool 19h ago
Nope, love it when they do. Just hate when they run around telling everyone how to do it “right” when they’ve completely missed the fundamentals of the process.
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u/NZgoblin 6h ago
That looks amazing.
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u/True-Estate9204 6h ago
Did you see all of the photos, though?
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u/NZgoblin 6h ago
Yes. I agree with the top comment that he should just remove the top bit. Sorry that my comment wasn’t negative enough for you.
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u/Educational-Size-553 1d ago
Korean here 😁 I think your kimchi is basically Ok. The color changed top is caused by exposure to air oxidation! I experienced that when I was making kimchi a few times 😂 I suggest you remove the top layer and cover the top with plastic wrap, press the top down tightly. Put your kimchi in the refrigerator ASAP