Every joke about kimchi smelling bad while it ferments is absolutely....true. We'd be sitting at the desk in the kitchen and, all of the sudden, a bit of foul air would waft over and we'd think, "Ugh! What IS that?" And then we'd realize it was the kimchi. I can totally understand why traditionally it was fermented in the ground, far away from the house. But while it smells bad, it tastes great! (Provided you like that sort of thing.)
The recipe had said it would be ready in 3-6 days, but it also said it should be kept at 68 degrees the whole time. That just wasn't possible in our house, so I figured it was a good bet that it'd be done by 3 days. I tasted it this morning and it was perfect. Even a little teeny bit crunchy. I washed off the jar, since a lot of the brine had flowed out during the fermentation, put the lid on and tucked it in the fridge. Now I can have it whenever I want!
The recipe had said it would be ready in 3-6 days, but it also said it should be kept at 68 degrees the whole time. That just wasn't possible in our house, so I figured it was a good bet that it'd be done by 3 days. I tasted it this morning and it was perfect. Even a little teeny bit crunchy. I washed off the jar, since a lot of the brine had flowed out during the fermentation, put the lid on and tucked it in the fridge. Now I can have it whenever I want!
I love kimchi despite the smell. What recipe did you use? I would appreciate the link. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the basic Kimchi recipe from the Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich.
DeleteThanks Donna, I'll check it out.
ReplyDelete