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A Guide to Kimchi
The first step in fermenting kimchi is salt
pickling.
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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.
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.
Fermentation Rates for Kimchi
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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.
Kimchi begins fermenting as soon as it is
prepared.
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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.
How Temperature Affects Kimchi
•
Temperature affects the fermentation rate of
kimchi. When preparing kimchi for long-term
storage, keep the temperature below 10°C.
Long-Term Storage of Kimchi
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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 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.
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.
Selecting Radishes for Kimchi
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There are many types of radish kimchi, and
different radishes are used for different types of
kimchi.
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For radish kimchi, use Korean radishes that
have pale green tops and well-spread leaves.
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For chonggak (young radish) kimchi, use Seoul
radishes that have round, thick bottoms.
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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.
