Hot take: I was scared of mold on my kimchi for no good reason.

Used to check my jar every single day, freaking out over any little bubble. My friend in Chicago told me to just leave it alone for a full week. Did that last month, kept it at a steady 68 degrees. Came out perfect, way more sour and funky than my old batches. How do you guys judge when it's done without opening it all the time?

3 comments

3 Comments

coran632mo ago

What temperature do you keep it at for that full week?

kai_brown231mo ago

Oh man, exactly. I keep mine right around 65-68 degrees. Any warmer and it goes way too fast and gets mushy. Samb42 is totally right about just leaving it alone. I put my jar in the basement pantry and set a phone reminder for two weeks out. Opening it early is the biggest mistake, you let all the good stuff out. That cool, steady spot makes all the difference for getting that good crunch.

samb422mo ago

Remember my buddy who kept poking his sauerkraut? He was so worried he'd open the lid every other day to smell it. Ended up with a weird, thin batch that never really got going. His grandma finally told him to stash it in a cool closet and forget it exists for ten days. He did, and it turned out super crisp and tangy. Sometimes you just gotta trust the process and leave it alone.