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OPERATION
ENGLISH
A Guide to Kimchi
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The first step in fermenting kimchi is salt
pickling.
The salt reacts with enzymes in the cabbage to
break down proteins and begin fermentation
immediately. This process continues even at cold
temperatures. Traditionally, kimchi was allowed to
ferment slowly during the cold winter weather.
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The taste of kimchi also depends on the
seasonings used.
Typical seasonings include green onion, garlic,
ginger, salted fish, and chili powder. The
combination of spices chosen determines the
overall taste of the kimchi.
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Fermentation Rates for Kimchi
Adding a lot of garlic, seafood, onions, chili powder,
cucumber or green onions makes kimchi ferment
more quickly. Adding salted oysters, salted shrimp
or persimmon sauce really speeds up fermentation.
On the other hand, adding leeks, mustard or
ginseng slows down fermentation.
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Kimchi begins fermenting as soon as it is
prepared.
Contact with air will make kimchi sour. If the kimchi
is not covered in sauce or has too little salt, a thin
skin of yeast will form on its surface.
Keep air away from the vegetables by covering
them in sauce or placing the kimchi in a plastic bag
or covering it with plastic wrap.
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How Temperature Affects Kimchi
Temperature affects the fermentation rate of kimchi.
When preparing kimchi for long-term storage, keep
the temperature below 50°F (10°C).
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Long-Term Storage of Kimchi
Like cheese, kimchi is a living organism and will
change over time. To keep kimchi fresh for long
periods, increase the salt content and store at a low
temperature, near 32°F (0°C).
Press vegetables down so they are covered with
sauce and cover the container with plastic wrap or a
layer of cabbage leaves to keep air out and keep
kimchi fresh longer.
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Choosing the Right Cabbage for Kimchi
There are many different kinds of cabbage
available. For kimchi, choose a medium sized
cabbage which is rounded rather than long and thin.
The inner leaves should be sweet and paler than
the outer leaves. Outer leaves should be thin and
light green.
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Selecting Radishes for Kimchi
There are many types of radish kimchi, and different
radishes are used for different types of kimchi.
For radish kimchi, use Korean radishes that have
pale green tops and well-spread leaves.
For chonggak (young radish) kimchi, use Seoul
radishes that have round, thick bottoms.
For kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), try to find
radishes with white rather than green tops.
For dongchimi, use radishes with soft leaves and
white rather than green tops.
