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 xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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 issues with my kimchi making 
#9736004 - 02/04/09 08:04 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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I made some kimchi.
used a head of chinese cabbage, carrots, spring, onions, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, 4 tbs red pepper, tbs organic sugar, tbs sea salt.
soaked the cabbage for 12 hours in brine (3 tbs sea salt and water)
mixed all ingredients with the cabbage, packed into gallon jar, poured enough brine over to cover, put lid on. i let this ferment for 4 days at 68F.
It's extremely tangy. It has no crunch, and the green onions taste a lil weird. I'm pretty disappointed because I can't afford to continue buying Kimchi from Whole Foods. I love Sunja's, and how fresh and crispy it tastes. I wonder what the minimum ferment time is?
Any suggestions?
Edited by xyz789 (02/04/09 08:21 PM)
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 falcon
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 Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9736096 - 02/04/09 08:24 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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Make it with regular cabbage.
I like the flavor that the green onions develope.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9736132 - 02/04/09 08:30 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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Sunja's is made with chinese cabbage and it stays distinctively crunchy though.
any ideas?
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9736177 - 02/04/09 08:39 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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Ferment at a lower tempature?
Maybe do one day at 68 and then refridgerate?
Sonja's is expensive, I haven't tried it.
Check out the label see how much sodium there is in it.
You can do lactic acid fermentations with no salt or very
little salt, but the risk of other types of bacteria
growing is higher.
Maybe she's adding a lactic acid culture that is already
growing well to the starting ingredients with less salt.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9736199 - 02/04/09 08:41 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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u make a good point, but wouldn't the use of lactic acid fermentation be indicated on the jar?
this is the 2nd batch i messed up, although i did eat some of this 2nd batch, i just dont know if i trust it. it's very soggy.
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9736252 - 02/04/09 08:47 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
dr_gonz said:
u make a good point, but wouldn't the use of lactic acid fermentation be indicated on the jar?
Yeah, it probably would.
Quote:
dr_gonz said:
this is the 2nd batch i messed up, although i did eat some of this 2nd batch, i just dont know if i trust it. it's very soggy.
Very soggy doesn't sound good. Mine turns out less crisp then the veggies start out, but I wouldn't call it soggy.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9736268 - 02/04/09 08:49 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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I like my cabbage nearly crunchy. Maybe a one day ferment would suffice. It's getting expensive to keep messing up. Should I throw this batch away if I'm unsure? I did eat it tonight.... Its not great.
Sunja's claims to be all natural:
http://www.sunjaskimchi.com/Scripts/default.asp
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9736310 - 02/04/09 08:54 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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If you're unsure throw it out.
Make smaller batches till you get your recipe right.
I've made batches with just a couple of cups of vegies
and brine combined.
I'm getting some of Sonja's to try it.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9736394 - 02/04/09 09:09 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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It seems that one head of cabbage is the minimum though?
when you get Sunja's get a jar of cabbage that looks very crisp and fresh. Please let me know if you're able to clone it.
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9736582 - 02/04/09 09:40 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
dr_gonz said:
It seems that one head of cabbage is the minimum though?
No, I don't think there is a minimum.
Quote:
dr_gonz said:
when you get Sunja's get a jar of cabbage that looks very crisp and fresh. Please let me know if you're able to clone it.
I bought a jar of the White Kim-chi. It is pretty good. I think she is using regular cabbage, not Chinese cabbage in it.
On the jar it says that there is only 10mg of sodium per serving,
one ounce. This doesn't sound right, there are 2400 mg of sodium in
a teaspoon of salt. If there is 160 mg of sodium in the pint that I bought,
then Sonja is using a teaspoon of salt to make 15 pints of kim-chi.
Tastes saltier to me, not as salty as what I make, but still pretty
salty.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9736593 - 02/04/09 09:42 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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nice man. do u find that it's crunchy? any suggestions on how i can mirror it?
do u like spicy?
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9736635 - 02/04/09 09:48 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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I like it crunchy. Seems like it hasn't been fermented long at all.
There is a lot of fine cabbage pieces in with the larger pieces.
Maybe she packs puts it in the jars and refrigerates it and lets it ferment on the way to the store.
I'm going to try making Kim chi with only a little bit of salt.
I like it spicy, all they had at the store was the white which isn't
spicy at all except for the ginger and garlic.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9736725 - 02/04/09 10:01 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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that's interesting u say that. could i make it, and then immediately ferment in the fridge?
her medium spicy is incredible. the radish kimchi is also fantastic.
i agree that she must not ferment long at all!
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9736954 - 02/04/09 10:39 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
dr_gonz said:
that's interesting u say that. could i make it, and then immediately ferment in the fridge?
 Seems like what Sonja is doing. Worth a try, her's is good.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9739179 - 02/05/09 06:46 AM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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ok, i will try and report back!
when u say use regular cabbage do you mean the round head? is napa and chinese the same thing?
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9752625 - 02/06/09 11:43 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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when u say use regular cabbage do you mean the round head?
Yes.
is napa and chinese the same thing?
Pretty sure they are.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9752633 - 02/06/09 11:44 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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I really want to try fermenting immediately. How long should I soak in the brine first? I want this crunchy as possible.
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9752660 - 02/06/09 11:49 PM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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I don't soak at all.
I just add the salt and then cover with enough brine
so it is all submerged.
And then put a plastic bag with some water in it
on top of it to make an air seal.
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xyz789
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 41,853
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: falcon]
#9753795 - 02/07/09 10:11 AM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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that is VERY interesting, mr falcon. i have been presoaking the cabbage for 12 hours which is quite possibly another reason I'm losing my crunch.
i think I'll try anotehr batch today with no presoak, and only 24 hours at 68degree fermentation.
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falcon
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Re: issues with my kimchi making [Re: xyz789]
#9763326 - 02/09/09 12:38 AM (4 years, 3 months ago) |
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I made some using Sunja's ingredients, I substituted onions for
leeks though. This is it mixed up in a bowl. This tasted
good just as a salad. I used 8 teaspoons of salt and had
to add 2 cups of water split between both jars that I packed
it into.
Packed into jars, the pint went directly into the refridgerator
the gallon went onto the floor of the basement, the gallon will ferment
at about 50 F.
Oh, yeah, I added a little of the liquid, about a teaspon, from Sonja's
to each jar.
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