Fermentation Support Forum

I've always been curious about Kimchi, and have wanted to make a batch for a long time, but one thing always bothers me, and I have never done it.

I am used to sauerkraut and starting with a good 2-2.5% brine. But kimchi recipes that I have seen all say to rinse the cabbage leaves of salt before adding the sauce and packing it into jars, so it seems like there is very little salt to protect the ferment from undesirable bacteria before fermentation can really get started.

How is it that the fermentation is kept safe in the absence of salt?

Thanks!

I don't rinse my produce after brining it.

Thanks Christopher,

I think I will do mine that way as well.

I have another question about heat. I like some fairly hot foods at times, but I think I would like my first batch of kimchi to be a little milder, like medium to very warm, but not too hot. I know that doesn't define terribly well what I am after, but can you give me an idea how much pepper flakes to add for say, about 5 lbs of produce?

Thanks!

First, a caveat: I don't actually measure things. I add a little taste, add more. So anything I say is going to be a rough guess.

It also depends on the chiles you're using. If you use gochugaru, it's not that spicy anyway -- it's rich and smokey and sweet and just a little hot. So, maybe half a cup of gochugaru flakes in a quart of kimchi? (Don't take this as a commandment, I'm really unsure and don't have any books here at work!)

I've also made "kimchi" with chipotle powder or cayenne and you'd use a lot less.

You'll also get some heat from garlic and any fresh chiles you might add -- I sort of toss whatever's in the fridge in once I make sure I have napa and carrots, and almost always include jalapenos even though they aren't authentic.