316084 Wed Aug 09 03:06:47 -0700 2006 17 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1796260 i brought back a container of homemade kimchee from a korean friend in chicago to california, havent dived into it yet about a month later. visibly, olfactorily seems ok...any warning signs i should be aware of? (it wasnt refrigerated for 6 hour flight) Wed Aug 09 03:06:47 -0700 2006 14086 kare_raisu 1 1796264 i think the kimchee will out live us all Wed Aug 09 03:13:15 -0700 2006 1796260 19291 frankiii 1 1796297 kimchee is great! Although i wouldn't trust leaving the stuff out for long. Wed Aug 09 03:33:49 -0700 2006 1796260 23032 thaifoodie 1 1796431 I toss mine if I haven't eaten it by the time the harder pieces lose their crispness completely and become mushy - the daikon version is especially bad when the pieces become soft and mushy. Wed Aug 09 05:03:28 -0700 2006 1796260 10312 applehome 1 1797159 Generally I go by taste, but there are some visual signs. If you are talking about Napa Cabbage kimchee, if the white of cabbage lose their whiteness and start to become soggy and 'dingy'-looking the kimchee is overripe and it's time to cook it. You can saute it with some bacon, onions and some spices to make kimchee bokum, make kimchee chigae or saute it into fried rice. Just google for recipes. Wed Aug 09 16:33:38 -0700 2006 1796260 10510 Pupster 1 1797272 You really want to eat your kimchi within a few weeks. After that it is simply past it's prime, but still good for soup or fried rice. My husband hates kimchi and won't even stay in the room when I eat it. But he loves my kimchi fried rice! I notice that when it's too old it starts to get kind of translucent and also a little bit floppy. You know what, why not call your friend who made the kimchi. She would definitely be able to give you some really good ideas of ways to use the little bit that's left. Wed Aug 09 17:14:57 -0700 2006 1796260 19937 Kater 1 1798581 I agree with others here. When it's starts getting a little translucent, it's a little too ripe. What my husband does at this point: in a soup/stock pot put in kimchi + its juice, add some water (to taste preference) and uncooked pork ribs*, then cover and simmer everything until it's soft to your liking. If you want, right before you think it's done add fresh tofu chunks, then simmer again until the tofu's heated. Scoop stew into bowls, eat with rice. Very easy, and you're saving the ghost of kimchi past :) * I've had it with bacon or Spam instead of the ribs. Neither are as good, IMO. Thu Aug 10 01:50:35 -0700 2006 1796260 23964 nanklee 1 1800110 I like mine pretty ripe! Like getting translucent. To me it's not to old to eat until it starts getting fizzy! Thu Aug 10 19:45:01 -0700 2006 1796260 18154 prunefeet 2 1800199 I've been offered riper, aged kimchee as a delicacy. Thu Aug 10 20:15:54 -0700 2006 1800110 10039 Melanie Wong 2 1803600 I've had fizzy kimchi before. I prefer the stage that's past freshly-made, yet pre-fizz :) Sat Aug 12 04:40:12 -0700 2006 1800110 23964 nanklee 3 1804329 exactly. Sat Aug 12 21:06:03 -0700 2006 1803600 18154 prunefeet 1 1800600 Seriously, having realllllllly ripe kimchee is the only way to go. I would consider that applicable to all varieties of kimchee-- even ggakdugi, which is just one of the types made with radish. It's the only way the flavors can meld and actually cling to the vegetable. Freshly-made kimchee tastes rather flat, and the flavor of the vegetable comes too clearly after the spices are initially registered. Just about all kimchee is made with at least a little bit of sugar (to facilitate the fermentation), and since I have an aversion to savory foods that are sweet, I really can't stand the freshly-made stuff. If it's been about a month, it should JUST be getting good (depending on whether it's been sitting in someplace warm, at room-temperature, or in the fridge). Of course, everything is relative, so you might not like more ripened kimchee. If that's the case, follow the others' suggestions and make kimchee-jjigae (I would suggest substituting the pork with a good sausage or even tuna) or fried rice. You could even make a pajun (pancake) with it. Don't forget-- kimchee was "invented" to help people through veggie-less seasons. The stuff was MADE to last families for months. LA Omogari uses only kimchee that's been aged for a year+ in its jjigae. Judging the jjigae by its flavor I have a feeling they might even add duenjang (fermented soybean taste) to it for added "funkiness." Thu Aug 10 22:37:13 -0700 2006 1796260 17463 PseudoNerd 2 1800681 i am glad someone else posted this, i felt a little ashamed after my testament to the longevity of Kimchee. As far as i am concerned, the riper the better. When first introduced to kimchee i was told it was common for people to pack it into earthernware jars and bury it in the back yard for months before eating it. This information sealed my desire to try it. I have never looked back, unless i smelled that particular odor of the lid coming off of a ripe jar of kimchee. let it fester Thu Aug 10 23:12:05 -0700 2006 1800600 19291 frankiii 3 1800759 Exactly! Do you make your own, or do you bury store-bought jars? Thu Aug 10 23:50:57 -0700 2006 1800681 17463 PseudoNerd 3 1802257 This reminds me of a funny story--a friend's aunt was hosting her niece and some Korean friends for Thanksgiving and decided to make kimchi. She read that it was supposed to be buried in the earth, but didn't bother putting it in a jar first! The look on their faces when she served it at the table... In general, kimchi ripeness is a matter of taste. Koreans will say of kimchi, "It's too sour" or "It's turned," so the concept that it's not quite edible any more does exist, but there's no hard and fast rule. I'm not an expert on kimchi making, but I think the storage in jars in the ground was done in the winter, which would be similar to refrigeration, not just continual fermentation. Fri Aug 11 18:00:43 -0700 2006 1800681 10697 AppleSister 4 1823243 I can confirm from various relatives and friends' parents/aunts/uncles/grandparents that burying kimchee in the ground was done only in the colder months in Korea. The fermentation process was slower b/c of this, as frozen ground/tundra is a colder and more consistently temperate environment than most modern household refrigerators. As for kimchee going bad, when it starts to have an alkaline/fizzy/unpleasantly tart taste to it, it should be used in a soup/stew/fried dish asap. Most Koreans I know have an aversion to freshly-made kimchee, and prefer a version somewhere in the range between crisp and soggy. If it still tastes like cabbage with chili powder and other seasonings on it, it's not reached the right level of fermentation. Mon Aug 21 20:58:56 -0700 2006 1802257 11011 Eugene Park 5 1823945 Not colder necessarily, but more consistent and more importantly, never allowing the kimchee to freeze, even if above ground temps are below freezing. It would work similarly to a root cellar, I suppose. Very clever way to preserve veggies all winter. And yes, since the kimchee is buried before most of the fermentation takes place, the cold temps would prevent it, and thereby keep until fermentation begins again when unburied. Certainly tastes vary, but most commonly Koreans don't wait for the ultra rank sourness kicks in. Tue Aug 22 02:00:55 -0700 2006 1823243 10510 Pupster 1 4416464 Good to hear that there are no kimchi poisoning cases. I'm eating a bowl of rice and 9mo old kimchi right now :) Not so crisp, but I must admit I like the strength of the flavor and the fizz! Fri Feb 13 23:56:29 -0800 2009 1796260 266707 skaro