Have you, yourself, ever made kim chi? I need help!!!!

[Howard-2]

I need help making my own kim chi--but only from people who have actually made their own kim chi, with their own 2 hands.

I can't understand what I'm doing wrong. My kim chee just never tastes as good as commercial stuff. I can't figure out why, and it's making me crazy!

Why am I interested in hearing only from people who've made it themselves? Because most of the recipes I've seen for it are *terrible*. They omit crucial facts. Here is one example: kim chi is made with red pepper. But to make it properly, you must use *korean* red pepper! American- or pizza-style red pepper is just not the proper stuff to use--but lots of recipe writers seem totally unaware of this!

Thanks.

[Denise B]

Actually I've found that in general with any kind of peppers—substituting from a different cuisine/region changes the flavor in subtle to unacceptable ways.

One tip I can give from my kim chee experiments is to never use water—some recipes tell you to soak the cabbage in salted water. What works best for me is to shred the cabbage, then bruise it well in my hands with the salt, then weight it down for a few hours/half a day before mixing in the chilie powder, ginger, garlic, green onions. Then let fermentation take its course!

You might get more specific help if you could tell us what's wrong— too weak, not enough sourness?.

[susugi]

is soaking in salt water that bad? my mom always used to soak the leaves in salt water.

one thing I remember is when sometimes, she used to use fish heads. Also, she used TONS of garlic. yum.

[howard-2]

Did she seal the container in any way, or do anything to limit the amount of air that could get to the fermenting napa?

Where did she leave the stuff while it was ripening--was it a cool place of some sort?

How long did she let it ferment?

[howard-2]

I posted my method above. I'll be greatful for your comments and observations!

[Karolyn]

I have made several kinds of kim chee. I assume, from your post, that you are only talking about Napa cabbage kim chee. I shall direct my remarks to that one.

I start with Napa cabbage which I cut, lengthwise, into quarters. These I salt, leaf by leaf and put in a bowl with a weight on them for at least a day. Then I rinse, rinse, rinse until tasting tells me the salt is gone. Then I proceed with the recipe.

I find most recipes are a bit timid in the garlic and ginger departments, so I always add extra. The most crucial part for the fermentation, and for the flavor, are the fermented shrimp. As far as my own experience, I have only been able to buy these in a Korean grocery. They are tiny little things with a not pleasant smell, but they are crucial to getting the fermentation going.

I make the mixture with the things called for in the recipe - you MUST use Korean ground pepper; nothing else tastes right. I spread the mixture on each leaf - don't skip any. Then I reassemble the quarter cabbage and cut it into 1-2 inch pieces. These I stack in the jars and really press down on them. I put a weight on the top (a couple of cans, whatever fits into my jars) and let them sit at room temperature for another day. Then I cap them and put them in the refrigerator. They won't be ready to eat for about a week and will reach the top of their flavor in 1-2 months.

[howard-2]

Here's what I do:

1. I cut my napa in half, top to bottom, then cut "slices" about 1.5--2 ins wide.

2. I toss that with some kosher salt and put it in a 5 gallon plastic tub (from a doughnut shop).

3. I let that sit for a few hours, then add water and let it sit overnight.

4. Next day, drain and rinse carefully. It's now degorged and quite limp.

5. Mix the napa with some garlic (sometimes I use powdered, sometimes fresh), ginger, korean red pepper, 1 tsp sugar (I think this aids fermentation), and scallion. Sometimes I add dried shrimp, or maybe anchovy paste.

6. I put this in a 3-liter plastic soda bottle (with top cut off) and push down a bit. Then I put 2 food-grade plastic bags in bottle (one inside the other) and fill the inner bag with water. The purpose of this step is to limit the amount of oxygen getting to the fermenting vegetable.

7. I let it sit for some days--anywhere from 2 to about 5 or 6--in the basement (about 55 deg.) Then I remove the airlock (bags), put the stuff in the fridge, and mutter darkly about not being able to make kim chee as good as what I can get in the store.

[Denise B]

I just realized I said shred in my previous post which is what I do for sauerkraut, not kimchee. I cut it the way you do. I don't use water because I don't want it watery but I do want the vitamins from the cabbage juice. I am not sure if an airlock is necessary or even possibly impeding the process. Traditional methods use ceramic crocks, and I always shy away from foods in plastic—I'm one of those who believe plastics can leach estrogen mimicking compounds into food, so I use glass, stainless or ceramic containers, some kind of weighted plate to keep the cabbage submerged in the brine, and just a sheet of waxed paper on top to keep stuff out. I agree with the previous poster about increasing all the quantities of the seasonings. Also I just leave it on the counter out of the bright light. And I've never needed anything to start the fermentation going, unless that shrimp paste gives a particular, preferred bacteria that makes it taste better!
The kimchee will keep fermenting unless you can it, so it will get progressively sourer in the fridge. Don't can it though, the enzymes from the fermentation and the beneficial bacteria are great for your digestive system! Just make as much as you can eat in a month, then start another batch.

[Sonia]

NEVER use powdered garlic to make kimchi. Or any Korean food, for that matter. It's sacrilegious. ;)

[Karolyn]

And it also doesn't taste very good.

[Sonia]

Making your own kimchi is quite easy if you have the right ingredients. Perfecting it... that's a different story. I don't know if there is such a thing.

You are absolutely right about the red pepper powder. It is absolutely essential and there is no substitute. Also, if you've been to a Korean market, I'm sure you know that there are about 40 different brands of the stuff. It also comes in various grounds from very fine to coarse. Get something in the middle that's nice and red. Also, it should appear to be freshly ground--almost shiny. There are some powders that look very dry & fine, almost like malt powder. Stay away from those. I like Haitai--it's nice and hot and very red for that all imporant color. Your problem could be as simple as not having the right red pepper, even if it is from a Korean source.

To make cabbage kimchi, cut napa into pieces as you described, salt it heavily and let sit for an hour or two. It's really not necessary to soak it for half a day or overnight as some people suggested. Do not add any water. After soaking, rinse it thoroughly & drain. Tint the cabbage with some red pepper until you get a nice color, then mix it with a sauce of some more red pepper, lots of garlic & green onion, ginger, fish sauce, little sugar. Maybe some choped preserved shrimp (sae oo jut)--not absolutely necessary though... Be sure to use lots of garlic. Whatever the recipe you're using says, double it or more. If it seems like too much garlic, add some more. After you mix it all in, taste a piece. It should taste quite salty. The saltiness will lessen after fermentation.

Pack tightly into a jar and cover so that it's air tight. Leave at room temperature to ferment. It should take no more than 3-4 days, 1-2 days if it's hot. Once it starts to bubble up, it's either ready or very close to it. Taste it. That's the only way to test if it's ready. Actually, that's a big part of making kimchi too. Knowing when it's ready to be put in the fridge. Too early, the whole batch is ruined; too late, you have "shin kimchi" (sour kimchi). It comes with experience. Having grown up on the stuff helps too. To start, it should not have any rawness to it.

This is how my mom makes it and how I make it now. I assure you, every Korean mom has a different method and none is wrong. That's just the nature of Korean cooking. Just keep making it to get it just right.

[susugi]

yup lots of garlic is key.

I agree, I don't think the baby shrimp is necessary for fermentation. A couple of times, my mom made it without and it tasted fine...I think it's mostly for flavor. By the way, has anyone else heard that baby shrimp kills pigs? That's what my family always says, since they always eat baby shrimp with pork. My grandmother tells us these stories of seeing live pigs keel over after having been fed baby shrimp.

Fermentation for korean-style pickles in general doesn't seem to be that rigorous. My mom would make this dish with cucumber slices, ground red pepper, garlic, salt, and scallions, and essentially as soon as she would make it, we would start eating it. It's quite salty and dry at first, but as it ages in the fridge, it begins to approach kim-chi more, as the salt releases the water in the cucumber and the slices get more tender and pickle-like, less salty.

Also, one thing she tried years ago was burying kimchi in the ground during the winter. I don't remember how it turned out. Has anyone tried this?

[Sonia]

Burying kimchi in the ground is a way to preserve it in the winter so that you have "fresh" veggies during the harsh Korean winters. It slows down the fermentation (because winters are so dang cold in Korea) and you take out a little bit of it at a time. The kimchi usually has a crisper, fresher quality to it when it ferments this way. Korean people often talk about the appeal of "kim jang kimchi" (kimchi made for over-wintering). At least in So Cal where I live, I've never seen anyone do this--it's not practical (winters are too mild) or even necessary (you can find napa year round).