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Kimchi FAQ
General Kimchi Questions
What is kimchi?
Kimchi is a Korean fermented vegetable product, similar to sauerkraut. Like sauerkraut, it’s packed in a salt brine and left unrefrigerated. During that time, good microbes called lactic acid bacteria, also known as probiotics, preserve the vegetables inside the brine by making carbon dioxide and lactic acid. This is why kimchi and other fermented vegetables taste sour. The unique thing about kimchi is the addition of chili pepper flakes, called gochugaru in Korean. The most well known type of kimchi is made with cabbage, but there are all kinds of kimchi made with an infinite variety of vegetables.
Do you add vinegar to kimchi?
Nope! All the acid is naturally produced by lactic acid bacteria, some of the same bacteria found in the human gut biome that help us digest food.
How long does kimchi last?
There are a lot of variables to this question! It can last from several weeks to several years. The bacteria found in naturally fermented kimchi keep it preserved so you can leave it unrefrigerated. Warmer weather speeds up bacteria activity, and cooler weather slows it down. Well preserved kimchi doesn’t necessarily go “bad,” but it does get soft as it ages.
Do I have to refrigerate my kimchi?
Generally, it’s recommend. Although kimchi is technically safe at room temperature, warm weather makes it softer faster. Refrigerated kimchi can sometimes last up to a year or more before going soft.
Does the “best by” date on the kimchi jar have anything to do with when the jar is opened?
Nope! Kimchi is a living food, and whether you open the jar or not, the bacteria are in there working away. We do recommend refrigerating the kimchi to slow down fermentation so it will stay crunchy longer. Our kimchi is not sealed or pasteurized in any way (this would kill the probiotics).
My kimchi jar lid is bulging a little and there’s a bit of liquid leaking out! Has my kimchi gone bad??
The probiotics in the kimchi create carbon dioxide, and especially in warm weather and if the jar has not been refrigerated, there may be extra fermentation activity causing excess gas and bubbling. This is perfectly normal and safe. Your kimchi is still fine to eat. Wipe down the jar and refrigerate to slow this reaction. (We’ve been conditioned with jarred/canned and pasteurized foods to look out for bulging and leaking jars, but this is a completely different kind of reaction caused by botulism bacteria in heat-treated, acidified foods and is not what is happening with kimchi and other naturally fermented, living foods.)
What can I do with soft kimchi? I found a jar of kimchi in the back of my fridge and it’s mushy.
Soft kimchi is WONDERFUL in spicy Asian soups, or kimchi fried rice! As long as it is not moldy or otherwise spoiled, it's totally safe to eat.
Fermentation questions
I tried to make kimchi at home and it didn’t turn out :(
We get this lament a lot at markets! Without knowing the specific circumstances of what you did and the environment where your kimchi fermented, we can’t exactly give you answers to what went wrong. But kimchi and other lactofermented vegetables prefer a salty environment and the exclusion of oxygen. Chances are is that you didn’t add enough salt, or that you exposed your ferment to too much oxygen.
Do I have to add salt?
Yes. The lactobacillus bacteria use the salty environment to their advantage! Most bacteria and other “bad” microbes can’t survive in a salty environment, but lactobacillus can. Without enough salt, your ferment will begin to host other organisms, making it unsafe. Unfortunately, most lactoferments are not a low-sodium food.
I want to learn more about fermentation. Do you have resources?
Our favorite fermentation resources are:
The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz, a comprehensive home-fermentation guide and James Beard award winning book
The Noma Guide to Fermentation by David Zilber and Rene Redzeppi, a great exploration of creative fermentation techniques from two chefs at the world-famous Noma restaurant in Denmark
We also recommend the fermentation sessions at Kojicon, an annual virtual fermentation conference. If you’d prefer a hands-on approach, check out our upcoming in-person kimchi classes!
I want to learn more about kimchi and Korean food! Do you have resources?
Here are some fun resources to get you started!
Youtube: Maangchi, Aaron and Claire
Netflix: A Nation of Kimchi
I want to learn more about other Asian fermentation techniques!
Fermentation in Asian culture is a tradition thousands of years old. Besides lactoferments like kimchi, the great Asian ferments include soy sauce (China), miso (Japan), and tempeh (Indonesia). We recommend Koji Alchemy by Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih as a primer on non-lactofermented Asian foods. For soy-based ferments, try Miso, Tempeh, Natto, and Other Tasty Ferments by Kristen and Christopher Shockey.