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How To Make Vinegar

On January 11, 2026 0 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

How does fruit become vinegar?

If you throw a bunch of sweet fruit into a container, natural yeasts already present on the skins will eventually consume the sugar in the fruit and produce alcohol. This alcohol will then get consumed by acetic acid bacteria in the environment and produce vinegar. Nature does all the work.

The problem with letting natural yeast go wild is that it is hard to know what flavours will result (good or bad), how much time it will take, and how much alcohol will result. Because the final acidity of the vinegar depends on the alcohol content, it is worthwhile to use a yeast with a known strength and flavour profile.

As for conversion of the alcohol into acetic acid, we could just leave a jar of fermented fruit juice covered with a cloth and allow naturally occurring acetic acid bacteria in the environment do the work. The problem here is that it takes a long time…several months at least. To shorten this time, we can inoculate our alcoholic fruit juice with a splash of live culture vinegar to get it started and provide it with a steady supply of oxygen via an air pump.

Making pear vinegar at home

In this recipe we will take ripe bosc pears and, over a month or so, ferment them into pear vinegar. I am mostly following a recipe from this excellent book by Rene Redzepi and David Zilber:

Ingredients:

4 kilograms ripe pears
35 millilitres liquid saison yeast (or another brewers yeast)
live culture (“contains the mother”) pear or apple cider vinegar for inoculation

Equipment:

A container large enough to hold your pears and leave at least 25% extra space. For this recipe I will be using two separate 4 litre / 1 gallon glass jars with lids and airlocks.
A tight lid and a brewers airlock (more on this below) for each container.
a strainer or fruit/cider press
a small aquarium air pump, hose and air stone (any pet shop will have these)
a blender or food processor is helpful but not necessary

Sanitizing Equipment:

Everything that comes in contact with this brew should be sanitized. Wash everything with soap and hot water, then sanitize whichever way you find convenient. Boiling, steaming and weak bleach solutions will work, but for convenience, I use a sanitizer called Star San.

Star San is available at home brew shops or online. You can mix a tiny amount with fresh water in a spray bottle for very effective and easy sanitizing. My local home brew supplier sells tiny bottles. Unless you are brewing huge amounts with massive equipment, a small bottle will last forever. I dilute it at about 2.5 millilitres per litre of water…that’s around 1/4 teaspoon per spray bottle…a tiny amount. This makes more than enough sanitizer for this whole process. It comes in a few different sizes and looks like this:

Process:

This recipe is divided into 2 parts. In part 1, we make alcohol. In part 2, we make vinegar.

Part 1: making alcohol

tray of ripe bosc pears — Choose a sweet variety of pear and leave them at room temperature to ripen until the fruit yields to light pressure. I bought these hard unripe bosc pears and it took almost a week at home for them to ripen up. If your pears happen to have stickers on them, just leave them on until they are ripe. I have tried removing stickers from unripe pears in the past and it often pulls up the skin leading to bruising or rot.

a packet of liquid saison yeast — I bought this yeast from a local home-brew supply store. You can also buy it online. I am using “saison” yeast as suggested by the Noma Guide to Fermentation but I think you could probably use another beer yeast if you can’t find a saison.

showing star san and spray bottle used for sanitizing — This is a tiny bottle of Star San and a 1 litre spray bottle. That 1/4 teaspoon is enough Star San to make a full spray bottle worth of sanitizer, probably enough to do this recipe 2 or 3 times.

all equipment spray sanitized including bowls and blender — Sanitize all your equipment before starting. Bowls, blender, spoons, ladles…whatever will touch the fruit.

pears with stems and blemished removed — Once the pears are ripe and soft, cut or pull away the stems and remove any stickers. If there are any signs of rot or mold, cut these out and discard.

cutting pears — If you are using a blender or a food processor, cut the pears into chunks. Don’t forget to sanitize the knife.

pears in a bowl, chopped into large chunks — Chopped up into big chunks. Seeds, cores and skins stay in.

pears going into blender — Pear chunks go into blender or food processor.

pureeing pears at low speed — Blend on slow speed and push the pears into the blades with a plunger.

chunky puree inside blender — We want rough chunky mash not a smooth puree.

finished mash in a bowl. chunky with seeds and skin — This looks (and smells) good. If you don’t have a blender, you can chop your pears by hand or even run them over a sanitized grater. It can be a little chunkier than what you see above. Do it over a tray so you don’t lose any juice.

adding liquid yeast to pear mash — Pour 35ml of brewers yeast into pear mash.

stirring in yeast thoroughly — Stir very well to ensure even yeast distribution.

fermenting jars, airlocks spray sanitized — Sanitize your container(s), lids and airlocks.

filling jars with mash — Pour the mash into sanitized container(s).

two glass jars with an even fill of pear mash — These are the glass jars I am using. I like them because they are easy to clean, it is easy to see what is going on inside and I can also use them for Part 2 of the recipe. Whatever container you use, you need to leave some space at the top. When the mash ferments, it will expand a surprising amount. The first time I did this, I figured that all the mash would fit into one jar (which it just did). But…when it started actively fermenting and expanding, it blew out of the top of the jar through the airlock and made a huge sticky mess. Leave space…at least 20% of the container.

top view of lids showing holes and seals for airlocks — These lids have a rubber gasket underneath to seal the jars and holes with rubber seals in the centre to accommodate an airlock. An airlock is a one-way valve that allows fermenting gasses to escape without allowing fresh air (and microbes) into the jar. These jars, lids and airlocks are available at home brew suppliers or online. There are a couple of different kinds of airlocks. Since I am using 2 jars, I will demonstrate both.

fill line for s airlock — This is an *S-type bubble airlock*. Water halfway up the chambers allows bubbles to escape as pressure builds up inside the fermenting container. Advantages: Simple, fun to watch, makes a gurgling sound, water doesn’t usually need to be monitored or refilled. Disadvantage: difficult to clean, especially if you happen to have an overflow as I have had. To use it, simply fill it from the top with sanitizer liquid until both chambers are at the fill line then put on the little perforated lid.

fill line for bucket airlock — This is what I call a *bucket airlock* (some will call it a *3 piece*). An inverted little bucket pops up and allows pressurized gas to escape while keeping outside air from entering. Advantages: Very easy to clean thoroughly. Disadvantages: visuals and sounds are less entertaining, a little more complicated to assemble (not really), water may evaporate and need a top up (but not often). To use this one, fill with sanitizer solution until it is in between the 2 fill lines. Then….

putting together bucket airlock — …insert the little perforated bucket upside down, on top of the centre shaft, then…

Once the jars are filled, the lids are on tight, and the airlocks are assembled…move them to a spot that is not in bright light and is at a cool room temperature. Around 20 Celsius or even a little cooler is ideal. Sometimes a basement works, or a garage. I have one or two poorly insulated outside walls which stay at a perfect 18-20 degrees in the winter so that is where I do my fermenting.

First Signs of Life

This is a time lapse to demonstrate how the two different airlocks work. This is obviously sped up but they are producing a good bubble every few seconds at real life speed. Below is a sound recording..

The ticking sound is from the bucket air-lock and the deeper gurgling sound is the S air-lock. I think the S lock is more fun to watch and listen to…but they each do the job : )

shows mixing of pear vinegar mash — Once a day, open the lids and give the mash a good stirring with a sanitized spoon. There is a tremendous amount of foaming and fizzing going on in the first two days. It is very active.

pre vs post mixing of pear vinegar mash. one has clear layers, the other does not. — Undisturbed on the left. On the right…after a thorough stirring.

When you are done stirring, replace the lids. Give the spoon a taste every time you mix it. Eventually you will notice the sweetness decreasing and the hotness (alcohol) increasing. Stir and taste and smell everyday until the bubbling slows and the mash has an obvious alcohol taste while still retaining some of the residual sweetness and “pear flavour” of the fruit. This will probably take 7 to 10 days.

Fermentation slows down…

For the first 2 days, fermentation was very active with both airlocks bubbling constantly. Towards the end of the second day the fermentation has slowed noticeably. The airlocks will bubble up a couple of times a minute at most. There is less fizzing when stirring and there is a slight taste and smell of alcohol on the spoon. By day 3, fermentation was very slow. Apparently, this very active initial fermentation followed by a very slow and steady period is characteristic of “saison” yeast. If you are using a different brewers yeast, the fermentation may be more consistent over time.

shows how waterline in s airlock shows that fermentation is active — The S airlock, with it’s 2 chambered design, clearly shows that there is pressure from fermentation gasses even if it is not bubbling constantly. This is an easy visual cue and another advantage of the S airlock. On the other hand, the bucket airlock needs a lot less pressure to force a bubble so, given the same activity, it will bubble a lot more often. One device you can see easily, one device you can hear easily. I kind of like having both going.

Keep stirring once a day, tasting for sugar and alcohol balance. Monitor activity at the airlocks.

Day 7:

By the 7th day, there is little to no detectable fermentation happening…no bubbling, no sounds, and the pressure in the S-airlock is equalized with both chambers showing the same water level. The mash tastes and smells of alcohol but the sweetness and perfume of pears is still there. This is perfect. It is time to strain the mash and move on to vinegar fermentation.

Straining the Mash

This is probably the most difficult part of this whole process. After doing this a few times, what you see below is the method I prefer but, it is not the only way. The goal is to separate the fibrous parts of the mash from the liquid so as long as you accomplish this, any method is fine.

two jars of pear alcohol. First stage of pear vinegar is done — Here is the pear mash on its last day of fermenting into alcohol.

sanitized tools for straining pear vinegar mash — Before starting, sanitize all equipment. For now, I will be using a coarse mesh strainer, a fine mesh strainer, a ladle, rubber spatula and a clear container to catch the juice. All of this was spray sanitized with Star San in a spray bottle.

two strainers — Set the fine mesh strainer over the bucket and the coarse mesh strainer inside the fine one. I find it is best to strain in stages where the first strainer will catch all the big stuff like seeds and peels and core fibres and the fine strainer will filter out anything smaller than that.

mash ladled into strainers — Ladle the mash into the coarse strainer leaving enough space to push and stir without making a mess.

demonstrating stirring and pressing to get mash through strainers — Stir and press the mash against the strainer to force all the liquid and smooth puree through. This is a lot of work. It takes time.

Only a very smooth puree gets through the bottom of the coarse strainer. Keep pushing and stirring until there is only seed, skin and rough fibre in the top strainer.

left over pulp and seeds from strainer — The remains. Put this fibrous stuff aside for now.

liquid coming out of bottom strainer — While working the mash up top, liquid will slowly seep through the fine strainer below.

The pulp in the fine mesh strainer will also need some stirring and pushing to get it through to the bucket underneath.

more leftover pulp — When you have pushed most of the liquid through the fine mesh strainer, you will end up with a coarse puree. Put this aside too.

The Fruit Press

If you don’t have a fruit press, don’t worry. Take your strained juice and skip down to “Neutralizing the Brewers Yeast”. If you have a fruit press or if you are interested in how one works , please read on…

this is a fruit press or a torchietto — This is a fruit press (this one is made in Italy and called a torchietto). I am going to use this to press out the last drops of liquid from the remains in the strainers. If you have a *large enough* fruit press, you can put all the mash through press right from the start and skip the strainers. I have tried that with this press and, it just isn’t big enough to process that volume without doing multiple batches and making a huge mess. I find that using the strainer method and then extracting one batch of juice from the already drained mash is much easier and yields more liquid in the end.

perforated basket inside bucket with spout. the inner part of fruit press. — The press has a perforated basket sitting inside a bucket with a spout at the bottom.

lining press basket with cheesecloth — Line the basket with a few layers of cheesecloth.

filling basket with mash pulp — Layer in your fibrous mash from the coarse strainer and your pulp from the fine strainer.

folding top of cheesecloth over the mash — Fold over the top of the cheesecloth.

shows press in action. A hand screw mechanism pushes a metal plate against the mash.juice flows from the spout at the bottom. — Here, the basket is inserted into the press. The hand-screw pushes a metal plate down onto the mash, pressing with great force. The juice slowly trickles through the cheesecloth, through the perforated bucket, out the spout and into a waiting container.

When you can no longer crank the handle with a reasonable amount of force, you are done.

shows a damp cake of spent mash after it comes out of the fruit press — When you remove the mash, you are left with a damp cake of pulp and fibre,

fruit press gave 500ml of juice from the strainer pulp — By using the press, 500ml more juice was extracted.

bucket measuring our total of 2.5 litres of pear alcohol to make into pear vinegar — Added to the liquid from the strainers, there is somewhere around 2.5 litres of viscous juice. It is quite thick.

Neutralizing the brewers yeast

pouring pear juice into a pot on stove — The alcoholic juice may still contain live brewers yeast which we do not want in the next fermentation. By heating the juice to 70 celsius for 15 minutes, any remaining yeast will be killed off.

heating juice to 70 celcius — I am using a probe thermometer here to measure the temperature. If you don’t have one, bring the liquid up to the point where it is steaming gently but not hotter. No boiling. Once up to temperature, cover the pot and leave it for 15 minutes.

after heating, cooling the pot to room temperature — Afterwards, cool to room temperature.

Part 2: Making Vinegar

In this second part of the recipe, the pear alcohol will ferment into vinegar with the help of acetic acid bacteria (AAB). We will kick start the fermentation with some live culture vinegar and then aerate it with a pump and air stone until it reaches a pleasant level of acidity.

an aquarium air pump and air stone which will be used in the fermentation into pear vinegar — This is a regular air pump, air stone and vinyl tubing from the aquarium section of a pet store. The tube and stone have been sanitized with Star San spray.

weighing pear juice — Weigh the finished liquid. In this case, the original 4kg of bosc pears has produced 2549 grams of alcoholic juice. This is one of the original glass jars from Part 1, washed and sanitized.

weighing live culture vinegar — To kick-start the ferment (aka “back-slopping”), add 20% of the juice weight in live culture vinegar. In this case, my juice weighs around 2550 grams, so 20% would be 510 grams of live culture vinegar. I am using some pear vinegar that I made last year for this. You can usually find live culture apple cider vinegar in many grocery stores or health food stores. Just look on the label for something that says “with the mother” or “contains the mother”. This works perfectly too.

510 grams of last years pear vinegar to “back-slop” this new batch.

pouring live culture vinegar into pear juice — Pour the live culture vinegar into the pear alcohol.

inserting the air stone into the pear juice jar — Drop in the sanitized air stone, making sure it rests on the bottom.

jar sealed with mesh and elastic to keep out the flies — To keep flies out (especially fruit flies) you need to seal the top of the jar with mesh and elastics while still allowing the air hose to exit. This is tricky to get right. I am using some fine plastic mesh, elastic bands and an office clip to keep everything as tight as possible. Tape can also help seal gaps. Eventually you will need to be able to get in here and taste it and then put it all back together so keep that in mind when you are assembling this.

jar on shelf bubbling with air from pump — The jar sits over on a shelf with the air pump close beside.

The aeration setup.

The alcohol should turn to vinegar within 2 weeks. I will leave this bubbling away for a full week before I taste it. In the meantime, I will give it a good sniff everyday to see how the acidity is developing. Once it begins to smell like mild vinegar, I will open it up once a day for a taste.

After a few days, there is a layer of sediment at the bottom of the jar, shaped by the current from the air stone. Once the vinegar is done fermenting, this sediment layer can either be stirred back for a thicker, more viscous vinegar or it can be filtered out for a more watery, light mouthfeel.

After 7 days, it is starting to smell sour. It tastes great. Good acidity but still fruity and sweet. I have pH test strips around so I tested just to see…

The pH reads right around 4. This is in the right range of 3.5 to 4. I want it to taste a little stronger, a little more acidic, so I will leave it another day or two.

When I pulled up the air stone to have a look, there are little blobs of vinegar mother (acetic acid bacteria and cellulose) forming on the stone…where the greatest concentration of oxygen is.

After 9 days of fermenting, the vinegar tastes perfect to me. It is a little more sour than a couple of days ago but still with a fruity aroma and flavour.

The air stone has grown a slightly bigger colony of AAB bacteria and cellulose as well.

One last strain will catch any heavier sediment.

The colour, taste and smell are perfect.

Just like before, this will need a stir to keep it moving and to keep the fine mesh from clogging up.

Total yield from 4kg of pears is somewhere around 2.5 litres.

Just for fun, I dipped a test strip and it came out around 3.5pH, which is indeed a little more acidic than a couple of days ago and right in the perfect range for vinegar.

Bottled and labeled, i will store these in the fridge to keep the flavours as fresh as possible.

Now what?

Compared to most store bought vinegars, homemade vinegar is surprisingly delicious. Use it on salads, spritz it over cooked veggies, use it in sauces…it will brighten up almost any dish. You can even drink it straight up or put a few splashes into soda water for a refreshing and healthy drink.

This is a truly fun and fairly easy fermentation project. There is a small initial investment for a little bit of specialized gear but once you have it, it can be used over and over. Just about any sweet fruit can be made into vinegar using this process. In the past I have made vinegar out of ripe persimmons and it was also delicious. I think I will try plum vinegar next, berries in the summer.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please leave them below. I am always happy to hear from you. Thanks for reading TigerSalad!

cooking, fermentation

Makgeolli

On December 25, 2025 2 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

What is Makgeolli / 막걸리 ?

Makgeolli is a Korean alcohol (or sool 술) made by fermenting rice with a natural starter called nuruk (누룩, sounds like noo-rook). I have heard it called “rice wine”, “rice beer” and “Korean sake” but it has very little in common with any of those. Makgeolli is its own thing. A few good ingredients and a complex, multi-layered, simultaneous fermentation by a large variety of bacteria and yeasts make this a uniquely Korean sool. It has its own distinct flavours, textures and history. It is unlike any other rice ferment.

The recipe below is not the most simple but the preparation and process are fairly straightforward. My goal was to make the recipe easy to follow so I have included lots of pictures and even some sounds.

Important considerations before you start

There are 2 stages to this recipe and, from start to finish, this brew can take anywhere from 3 weeks to a month. In Stage 1, during the first three days or so you will need to stir it up a few times. In Stage 2, you will need to stir it again for a few days after which it is mostly just waiting and tasting occasionally.

Each stage of this recipe takes several hours to prepare. In Stage 2, you will spend 5 hours just washing, soaking and steaming rice. It’s best to plan ahead so you have enough time to get through the process in one shot.

Temperature is important. You will need to find a spot that is room temperature or a bit cooler for fermenting this brew (20-25C). Higher temperatures can cause your brew to ferment too quickly and may cause some off-flavours. Cooler is always better.

Equipment

You will need a glass or pottery container to hold your brew. 8-10 litres is a good size.

***You can find these glass jars at many Asian grocery stores or supermarkets.***

**These ceramic onggi jars are sometimes for sale in Korean grocery stores or markets**.

I think most people use glass. I have ceramic onggi jars around the house so that is what you will see in the pictures but either will get the job done. You will also need a piece of fabric or cheesecloth and an elastic band to cover the top of your jar. This ferment needs to breathe and will release a lot of gas. A fabric cover will let it vent and keep insects and dust out.

You will need a steamer of some kind. Bamboo steamers are cheap and very useful. I have a medium size one with two decks that I will use to steam rice for this recipe. If you have a pot with a stainless steel steamer insert, that will also work. Lastly, you will need a piece of cheesecloth or other fabric big enough to wrap the rice in the steamer.

Ingredients:

There are only 3 ingredients here: rice, water and nuruk.

Nuruk is made by forming moist cakes of grain (usually some combination of wheat and barley and rice) and hanging them in open air to attract wild yeasts, bacteria and mold as they dry. These are then pounded into rough granules to use as a fermenting starter. Bags of this powder can be found at Korean grocers under the english name “Enzyme powder” or just look for the Korean name “누룩” on the bag. There is a picture of a bag of nuruk in the ingredients below.

You can make makgeolli with many different kinds of rice. For this recipe I am using a short grain sweet rice called chapssal (찹쌀). I think that this rice is most likely to make a successful and easy drinking first brew.

Here is what we need:

500 grams sweet rice flour (this is just rice milled into a fine powder)
2 kg sweet rice (chappsal)
2.5 litres filtered or spring water
250 grams nuruk plus another 250ml filtered or spring water to hydrate it

ingredients for making makgeolli — Sweet rice flour, nuruk and sweet rice.

Process:

The recipe is broken into 2 parts. In Stage 1, we will ferment the rice flour for a number of days (around 3). In Stage 2, we will add steamed sweet rice and finish the ferment over the next few weeks. A two stage recipe like this is called “Iyangju”.

Stage 1

rice flour and water — Measure out 250 grams rice flour and 2.5 litres of spring water.

mixing rice flour and water in pot over medium high heat — Combine rice flour with water in a heavy bottom pot and heat on medium-high while stirring constantly. This takes some time to come up to temperature but it is important to keep it moving so that it doesn’t burn. We want this to come up to boiling temperature. It will be thick and steamy when done.

Eventually, as the mixture nears the boiling point, it will get very thick. Once it is very thick, take it off the heat. The video here shows just how thick it should get. This thick rice slurry is called juk (죽), sounds like “jook”.

finished juk for first stage of makgeolli — Transfer the juk to a clean bowl and let it cool down to room temperature (no hotter than 25 celsius). Stir it from time to time to release some heat from the centre. This takes a long time, maybe a few hours. You can speed this up by putting the bowl into an ice bath and stirring until it cools.

weighing nuruk — While the juk is cooling, weigh out 250 grams of nuruk.

nuruk mixed with water — Add 250 ml of spring water and allow it to hydrate. At this point, give the nuruk a good sniff. I think it smells like a dusty antique book that was abandoned in a damp basement for years. If you get any other interesting impressions, please leave them in the comments.

steam sanitizing a clay onggi jar — In this picture I am sanitizing a clay onggi jar with steam. I have these jars around so that’s what I use. Most people will use a glass jar instead (8-10 litre/2 gallon capacity). Whichever container you use, make sure to wash and sanitize it by steaming, boiling or using a food safe brewers sanitizer like Star-san. We are looking to sanitize *not* sterilize so filling your container with boiling water and letting it sit for 10-15 minutes is fine.

mixing nuruk and juk — Once the juk cools to room temp (25C or below), combine it with the hydrated nuruk in a clean bowl.

nuruk and juk after mixing — Mix very well. If you stir long enough, the thick juk will eventually become more liquid making it easier to pour into your container. This can take 5-10 minutes of stirring.

pouring mixture into onggi jar — Pour all of the mixture into your sanitized container.

first stage of makgeolli ready to ferment — It will rest in here for the next few days as the first stage of fermentation gets under way.

I like these clay jars because they don’t allow any light inside. I can keep them anywhere. If you are using a glass jar, try to keep it somewhere dark or cover it with a towel. The yeast and bacteria are happier away from light. ***IMPORTANT:*** place your container somewhere where the temperature is between 20 and 25 celsius. Higher temperatures can result in very fast fermentation and unwanted flavours. Room temperature or a little cooler is ideal. This ferment also needs air so, cover the top of your container with some cloth and seal it with an elastic band to keep out insects and dust. Do not put on a tight lid.

shows need to cover fermenting jar with breathable cover of mesh or cloth — I found this cover at a Korean supermarket. It looks like a mesh shower cap made specifically to fit these jars. Any piece of fabric or towel sealed with an elastic band works just as well.

stirring twice a day — Twice a day, open up the container and give it a good stir, making sure to get all the sludge in the bottom mixed in.

first bubbles show active fermentation — There will probably be a little raft of bubbles starting a day or so into the ferment. These are the first signs of life.

more bubbles the next day — This is after around 2.5 days. My brew is very active with lots of bubbles and a strong sweet scent. I dropped a microphone over the edge and put the cover back on and made a recording. The field recorder and mics are sensitive so they pick up every pop and fizz.

This is the sound of a very active ferment. It sounds almost like running water or something frying in a pan. This level of activity means this needs a little more time. Once it settles down, you can plan to start Stage 2.

This is a day later, about 3.5 days in to Stage 1. You can hear that the activity has slowed down quite a bit compared to the first sound file with just a little fizzing and popping. It is now ready for Stage 2.

Stage 2:

In this stage we will wash, soak, drain, steam and cool our 2kg of sweet rice. And, afterwards, we will add it to our fermenting container.

Wash the rice by hand. Be gentle here. Try not to crush the rice or grind the grains too much. Just gently swish it around with an open hand from bottom to top.

pouring off water while washing rice — You will likely need to wash the rice at least 10 times. Mix it with lots of fresh water, dump out most of water, refill with fresh water and repeat…The goal is to wash it until the water is mostly (like 80%) clear. The first few washes will be very cloudy like this one and then gradually it will clear up with each wash.

clear water after 12 washes — I washed my rice 12 times and this is the last drain. You can see that it is much clearer than the above picture but there is still a little sediment. This is fine.

rice soaking for 3 hours in bowl of fresh water — Cover the washed rice with fresh water and let it soak for at least 3 hours at room temperature.

rinsing rice — After soaking for 3 hours, drain the rice into a big strainer or colander. Rinse it with fresh cold water.

draining rice for makgeolli — Let it drain for around an hour. It will still be damp but not dripping wet.

sample of a bamboo steamer — Prepare your steamer. I will use this double deck bamboo steamer.

lining bamboo steamer with cheese cloth — Whichever steamer you use, line the baskets with a large square of clean fabric or cheesecloth.

filling steamer with rice for makgeolli — Fill with rice. For best steaming, don’t pack them tight right to the top. The rice and steam need a little space to cook properly.

Bring water to a full hard boil before putting the steamer over it.

Once the water is rolling, cover with the steamer.

rice in steamer over pot of boiling water — If all the rice fits in a single steam basket (bigger than mine), set a timer for 40 minutes and let it steam hard. Make sure to start with enough water so that it doesn’t boil dry or check half way through and top it up. If your steamer has 2 decks like mine, set a timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, switch the top and bottom trays and set a timer for the remaining 20 minutes. Switching the trays will make sure the top and bottom rice steams evenly.

While the rice is steaming, prepare a cooling tray by lining it with a fuzz-free towel or cloth. Wet the cloth in water and squeeze it out as hard as you can so that it is just damp not wet. This will keep the cooling rice from sticking to it. I am using a baking sheet covered with a linen tea towel.

After 40 minutes, remove the basket(s) from the steamer. The rice should be cooked but dry. It will be translucent and have a bouncy texture when you chew it. Korean brewers call this steamed rice “godubap”. It will fuel the fermentation for Stage 2.

finished rice cooling on tray — Empty the the steaming baskets onto the tray and spread the rice out to cool to room temperature. This will happen pretty quickly, 10-15 minutes. Rice will stick to the rice basket cloths..do your best to pick it off by hand but don’t worry if you can’t get it every grain. The rice should not stick to your damp towel cooling tray.

adding steamed rice to the brew container — When the rice has cooled to room temperature, add it to the fermenting container.

It will seem very full and dry but over the next few days the rice will break down and start to liquefy as it ferments.

Stir it very well, seal the top with cloth and elastic and return it to your cool and dark fermenting spot.

Stage 2, Day 1

brew after 1 day — The rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid. It looks just like a pile of cooked rice. Over the next few days, this will change as the rice gets broken down. Listen to this:

It is bubbling and fizzing. Not as much as in the first stage but still sounds pretty active.

It feels just like very wet cooked rice. Continue to stir twice a day…

Stage 2, Day 2

brew on day 2 — The rice looks softer and wetter than the first day.

After stirring, you can see how the rice is starting to breakdown and liquify. It looks like hot oatmeal.

Moderate amount of bubbling…it has a thicker sound to it.

Stage 2, Day 3

brew on day 3. Rice is plump and breaking down — The rice is even more plump and wet. There is a somewhat thinner raft of rice on top and more liquid underneath.

After stirring, it is obvious that the rice has broken down and there is more liquid than solid in the mix. This is the last time we will stir this brew. Clean up the sides up your container as much as possible above the brew. Use a rubber spatula or a damp cloth to give it a wipe. There is an alcohol smell now. I can also taste alcohol on the spoon after stirring.

A steady moderate amount of bubbling.

Now we wait

For the next 2 to 3 weeks or so, open up the jar every few days and listen for activity and monitor any changes on the surface. Smell it and taste it for alcohol strength by sticking a spoon or chopstick into the mix.

The Match Test

By lowering a lit match into your container, you can get a visual cue for how much fermentation is going on. An actively fermenting brew will give off carbon dioxide. This will snuff a match quickly. The brew below is around 10 days into Stage 2. The match test shows that it is still actively producing CO2. The match goes out as soon as it gets past the rim of the jar. Eventually, as fermentation slows, you should be able to lower a match right to the surface without it going out.

This is just a fun measure of how active the fermentation is.

Stage 2: 2 weeks after adding rice

The brew is starting to have a nice boozy sweet smell. There is a thin shiny layer of liquid forming on top of the rice mash.

Stage 2: 14 days after adding steamed rice.

Over the last 2 weeks, the bubbling has become much slower but the brew is still active.

Brew is showing signs of being done

We are now 18 days into Stage 2 (3 weeks total fermentation time measured from the start of Stage 1). The bubbling has practically stopped with very little activity (not enough to even get one bubble during a 10 second sound recording). The brew smells and tastes of alcohol. Compared to a few days ago, there is now a very clear layer of liquid on top.

brew is finished fermenting as indicated by clear layer of liquid on top of rice — In this picture there is a clear glassy layer of liquid above the surface of the rice.

The Match Test Take 2

Unlike the first time we did this, the match stays lit even if I hold it right against the surface of the brew. This is good indication that little to no fermentation is happening and the brew is ready for filtering.

Filtering the brew

This is a very useful tool in the kitchen. Premium kitchen stores sell them but they will probably be cheaper at a restaurant supply shop. This particular strainer is called a “fine mesh chinois”. The mesh is fine enough to strain makgeolli without filtering through a cloth or bag. Cloth filtering works great and is more common. I prefer this just because I have the chinois around and I find it a little less messy.

Before filtering give your brew a good stir to get the sediment off the bottom.

It should have a very creamy texture with little chunks of rice and nuruk suspended inside.

The onggi jar is awkward to work with here so I will dump everything into an open top container first.

straining brew through fine mesh strainer — With my fine strainer over a second clean container, I can begin transferring the brew and slowly filtering it.

Milky liquid and fine sediment will pass through but the heavier, thicker remains will not.

The mesh will eventually clog up so you will need to stir it constantly and gently scrape up the inside walls of the strainer to keep the liquid moving through.

jigemi: the leftover solids from brewing makgeolli — When it gets really thick, you can gently press the contents of the strainer against the sides to squeeze out the last drops. What you are left with is a very damp rice mash called “jigemi”. Most people will toss this out but, if you have a look online you may find uses for this boozy mash. I recently learned that you can make another drink out of this called “moju”. I will probably try this in the future and post up a recipe.

bottling the finished brew — Once the straining is done, transfer your brew to bottles for storage. I recommend plastic soda bottles. They are safer. If your brew is still fermenting it will continue to produce gases which can break a glass bottle if the pressure gets too high. I like to use these plastic Perrier bottles. Before filling each bottle give your brew a good stir. This will keep the sediment even from bottle to bottle.

Mission accomplished. You can drink this right away if you like. Mine will go in the fridge for a few days.

picture shows the separation of clear alcohol and sediment after 48 hours — After a couple of days, the brew is starting to separate into a clear layer on top and a milky layer of sediment on the bottom. It will continue to settle over the next week or so.

This is around 2 weeks after this brew was bottled. There is now a layer of clear liquid above and thick sediment below.

Terminology around nuruk-fermented rice alcohol and how to enjoy your brew:

Depending on a few different factors, there a few different categories of rice alcohol. Without going into a lot of detail, here is a basic list:

Makgeolli: sedimented brew with less than 10% alcohol
Takju: sedimented brew with more than 10% alcohol
Yakju: clarified rice brew (the clear top layer in the above picture)

Our two-stage brew, long-fermented in a cool environment will almost certainly have more than 10% alcohol by volume. This means that it is a “Takju” and I think it is best to drink it as is. Gently turn the bottle over a few times to distribute the sediment and enjoy.

If you leave the bottles to rest, after a week or so, all of the sediment will settle to the bottom and there will be a very clear sediment-free layer on top. This is “Yakju”. You can pour it off slowly so as not to disturb the sediment and enjoy just the clear alcohol on it’s own. You can also pour it off, rebottle only the clear layer and age it indefinitely. It will change and develop new flavours over time.

If you pour off the Yakju, and dilute the sediment with fresh water, you will end up with a weaker drink in the under 10% alcohol range: this is Makgeolli. OR..you can also dilute your Takju with water to lighten it up and bring the alcohol concentration down…this would also be Makgeolli.

If I want something really refreshing and thirst quenching to drink with spicy food, I will often dilute my Takju with sparkling water. The brew is lighter and slightly fizzy and the flavours open up in a little different way…similar to the way an ice cube or a little water affects Scotch whiskey.

Commercial Makgeolli:

You have probably seen plastic bottles of commercial makgeolli at your local liquor store or in convenience stores in Korea. This cheap and tasty drink has it’s own charm but it does not have that much in common with a traditionally fermented brew like we have made. This commercial Makgeolli is usually fizzy, watery, has very low alcohol content and it surprisingly sweet, almost like a soda. It is sweetened with aspartame to make it more palatable and to prevent further fermentation in the bottle (and pressure related accidents while it is transported).

In contrast, our home brew has little to no fizz, a much higher alcohol content and is not especially sweet. In fact, it will lean closer to the dry and tart side with complex rice-y, boozy flavours and a thick creamy mouthfeel. You will taste and feel the alcohol very quickly. It is delicious! And, it is unlike anything else. Korean rice alcohol is entirely it’s own thing and it is next to impossible to compare it to any other brew.

The home made brew is thick, creamy, tart and strong.

Commercial brewers making traditional Korean sool

Over the last 5 years or so, some commercial brewers of traditional Korean sool have emerged. The first in the US was Hana Makgeolli, founded by Alice Jun. Alice and her team have produced a range of small-batch rice brews ranging from traditional Takju to, most recently, a potent full-strength Soju 60. I have linked a video below of Alice explaining the range of traditional Korean sools as well as Hana Makgeolli’s current offerings.

It was probably close to 10 years ago that I had the pleasure of meeting Alice in New York City when she was still developing recipes in her Brooklyn apartment. I got to sample an early brew “under the table” over Poke-bowls at a Manhattan SunriseMart. To this day, it is still one of my best New York experiences! Alice is one of the loveliest and most generous people I have met and she has a deep understanding of Korean rice alcohol, learning first-hand as a child helping her dad with traditional home brews. I highly recommend having a look at the above video for a comprehensive Sool School and if you are lucky enough to be able to try Alice’s brews in person, don’t hesitate to visit her shop and brewery.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please leave them below. If you try this recipe and like the results, please let me know. I hope you enjoy making your own rice brew as much as I do. Cheers! : )

cooking, Korean

Vegan Napa Cabbage Kimchi

On September 9, 2025 0 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

This is a tested recipe for anyone who does not eat meat, anyone with shrimp allergies or anyone who does not like the fishy taste of fish sauce. Once this recipe ferments, you will have a tasty vegan kimchi that you can use just like any other kimchi. It is a variation on a cut kimchi recipe that I posted previously. If you are interested in making a kimchi with all the seafood included or if you are interested in more information about kimchi in general, you can find that by clicking here.

Ingredients

1 large (2kg) Napa Cabbage
80 grams/3oz (around 1/2 cup) Diamond Kosher Crystal salt for brining
up to 2 Tablespoons kosher salt for seasoning (not for brining…save this for later)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
275ml (1 1/2 cups) water
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon white sugar or maesil plum syrup
1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves (around 20)
1 tablespoon ginger peeled and sliced
1 white onion peeled and chopped
1 asian pear or apple peeled and chopped
1/4 up to 1 cup (30-120 grams) korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
2 bunches (12 or so) green onions sliced
1 cup carrot matchsticks
1 cup korean radish matchsticks

Try to weigh your salt rather than measuring by cups. Diamond Kosher is a popular salt in my area. If you live in the US, you may be using Morton’s. This salt is much saltier by the cup. Same goes for sea salt if this is what you are using. Whichever salt you use, it is better to weigh it. Avoid using table salt.

Rice flour/rice powder is just finely ground sweet rice. Mochiko is a popular brand but any brand will work.

Korean chili flakes are all very different from batch to batch. Some are mild and fruity and some are sharp and very spicy. It is better to start with less, taste, and then add more if you want it spicier.

Process

Cabbage preparation

Quarter the cabbage and chop off the stalks.

In a large container, rinse the cut cabbage in fresh cold water.

Drain it for a few minutes before salting.

Brining

Making the kimchi paste

While the cabbage is brining, make the kimchi paste:

Combine the water and rice flour in a pot over medium high heat. Stir constantly until the slurry get very thick and starts bubbling a little. Afterwards, set it aside until it cools to room temperature.

Peel and chop ginger, asian pear (or apple), onion and garlic. Place them in a food processor and mix into a uniform sauce.

It should look something like this when it is done. If you don’t want to use a food processor or blender, you can also chop these ingredients by hand. It does not have to be this smooth.

Add maesil plum syrup or white sugar to your cooled rice flour slurry. I am using maesil plum syrup because I have it on hand but white sugar works just as well.

Mix in the sauce from the food processor.

Add in the chili flakes. Start with a small amount, taste it and then add more if you want more spice. You can taste and add more now or later in the process. Chili flakes can be mild or very spicy so it’s hard to give a fixed amount to use. Depends on your preferences and the chilis you have. As long as you like the flavour, you have done it right.

Mix well and give it a taste to judge the heat levels.

Cut the carrot and the Korean radish into matchsticks. I used this Japanese Benriner brand veggie slicer but you can use a knife instead. They don’t need to be perfectly uniform. Slice the green parts of the green onions into 1-2cm pieces.

Mix well, let it sit for a few minutes, and taste it again. This is a good time to adjust the spice level AND the salt level. If you think that the paste is a little bland, season with small amounts of salt until you like the flavour. In a regular kimchi recipe, brined baby shrimp and fish sauce add a large amount of salt. Because we have left them out, we have to bring up the salt level a little in other ways. The soy sauce will do some of the work, but you will probably need to add a little salt here as well. I ended up using around 2 tablespoons but you do not have to use this much. It better to put less now and add some later on, even days later. Once it is too salty, it is nearly impossible to fix.

The kimchi paste is done. Once the cabbage has finished it’s 2 hour brine, these will get combined.

Put it all together

Once the 2 hour salting time is up, wash the cabbage 2 or 3 times in fresh cold water.

Put it into a strainer and allow it to drain completely. This can take 10-15 minutes. Wait until no more water is running out of the bottom of the strainer.

Mix them together and taste it again. Adjust salt and chili if you think it is necessary. If it tastes ok, you are done!

I am using a stoneware onggi jar to ferment this batch of kimchi. I have them around the house so this is what I usually use. Mason jars or a glass storage container can work just as well. You can also use plastic containers but keep in mind that they will probably always smell like kimchi after you have used them. Whichever container you choose, make sure to leave the lids loose so that fermentation gasses can escape.

Leave your container at room temperature until the kimchi is fermented to your liking. This could be as little as overnight or as long as several days depending on the temperature of the room. Taste it a couple of times per day. When the kimchi is nearly as sour as you like, store it in the fridge to slow down the fermentation. If you prefer fresh crisp kimchi, you can refrigerate it right away.

Now what?

For ideas on what to do with your kimchi take a look at this post.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I am always happy to hear from you.

Thanks for reading!

cooking, kimchi, Korean

Kkakdugi or Korean Radish Kimchi

On April 29, 2025 0 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

Kkakdugi, or Korean Radish Kimchi, is one of the fastest and simplest kimchis to make. There are relatively few steps and just a handful of ingredients. The recipe you will see here is a little different from others you may find.

Last time I travelled through Korea, I noticed 2 distinct kinds of kkakdugi. One was the classic little cubes served as a side in many restaurants. The other is a much larger and chunkier radish kimchi. This second one accompanies clear and mild beef broth dishes like seolleongtang or doganitang. The pieces of radish tend to be bigger and less uniform and there is much more liquid in the kimchi. The kimchi is on the table in a big container from which you can eat the radish but you can also use the kimchi-juice to season your soup. This is what I am attempting to make here. You can also just eat it as a side the same as you would any kkakdugi.

Ingredients

As a chef, I always preferred to cook by weight rather than volume. I grew up using the metric system and I like it very much. So, as much as possible from now on, I will include metric equivalents. Keep in mind that other than salt and radish, you can vary ingredients as you like to suit your tastes.

3.5-4lb (1.5-2kg) Korean radish (the one i am using is 1700gr)
2 tablespoons (25gr) Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
1/4cup (30gr) korean chilli flakes / gochugaru
1 tablespoon (20gr) salted baby shrimp / saeujeot
10 cloves (35gr) garlic minced
1 teaspoon (10gr) ginger minced
1 tablespoon sugar (75gr)/syrup
1 asian pear peeled and chopped
1 cup of chopped green onion/scallion or asian chive/buchu

Korean radish is similar to white daikon in some ways but the flavour of Korean radish is usually more sweet and vegetal and less hot and bitter. But, if you really can’t find Korean radish, daikon is a reasonable substitute.

I am using Diamond Kosher salt. You can substitute 30 grams of any good salt, but avoid using table salt.

I just happen to have a homemade maesil plum syrup on hand which I am using instead of sugar. If you want to try it, you can find maesil syrup in any Korean grocer.

Feel free to vary the amount of chilli flakes to make this as spicy or as mild as you like.

Korean pears are not available at this time of year so I am using a whole regular asian pear which is roughly half the size of the Korean variety. You can also substitute an apple or regular pear or leave it out altogether.

Process

raw ingredients for kkakdugi korean radish kimchi — Raw ingredients

chopped Korean radish — Peel and slice radish into disks approximately 3cm/just over an inch thick

Showing the size of the radish pieces after cutting — Use a chef knife to chop the radish into chunks. They don’t need to be the same shape but they should be roughly the same size. As a size guide, you should probably not be able to fit more than one or two chunks on a spoon.

adding salt to the chopped Korean radish — Add the salt and mix thoroughly. You can now let the radish rest for an hour or so. Mix it up every 15-20 minutes moving the radishes on the bottom to the top.

picture shows moisture coming out of salted Korean radish — Within just a few minutes, the radish pieces will start to release water.

shows minced garlic and ginger ready for kkakdugi korean radish kimchi — While you are waiting for the radish to brine, mince the garlic and ginger.

shows asian pear shredded on slicer — Peel and chop the asian pear. I chose to run it over this Benriner Japanese slicer/shredder.

Shows chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, shrimp, pear and plum syrup together in one bowl. Ready to season kkakdugi kimchi — Put garlic, ginger, pear, salted shrimp, chilli flakes and sugar (or syrup) together in a bowl

bowl of stirred up seasoning ingredients for Kakkdugi Korean radish kimchi — Mix them all together

shows how much water the salted radish released — After an hour, the radish has released a good amount of water.

showing the draining of water from the radish — Drain off the radish water and reserve it. Do not rinse the radish.

a measuring cup showing the volume of water released: 250ml/1 cup — I got almost 250ml/1 cup of water out of this radish. I will probably end up adding all of it back as I want this kimchi wet and the radish itself does not taste too salty right now.

radish mixed with seasoning ingredients — Stir them up. Now is a good time to taste the kimchi. The radish will still release a large amount of water so don’t worry if it seems salty now: this will change. Taste for spice..add more chilli flakes if you prefer more heat.

how to chop buchu or scallions — Chop your buchu or scallions into 2cm pieces

adding back released water — Stir the greens back into the radish mix and add back the water

Finished product: here you get an idea of the size of the pieces.

Shows finished Kakkdugi Korean radish kimchi in a mason jar — I will let this ferment in a large mason jar on the counter for a day or two until it starts to sour. It is a good idea to put a plate or tray under the jar. The kimchi will expand as it starts to ferment and it may overflow a bit. Also…the bacteria that ferment your kimchi are much happier in the dark. Keep your jar away from sunlight or bright indoor light. I will cover this jar with a towel.

Allow the kimchi to ferment on the counter for a day or two. Taste it a couple times a day and when you are happy with the flavour, refrigerate it. You can eat the radish kimchi as is as a side to any dish or use the kimchi liquid to season mild soups.

Just like any kimchi, kkakdugi will continue to ferment and sour over time. If it gets too sour to eat as is have a look here for ideas on how to use well aged kimchi. Radish kimchi will work just as well as cabbage kimchi in hot dishes. I especially like it in kimchi fried rice.

If you are also looking for a good cabbage kimchi recipe, you can find mine here.

Lastly, if you are interested in what Seolleongtang looks like in Seoul, Korea, have a look here or here. Maybe in the future I will put up a recipe for Seolleongtang although it is a long long process that is challenging to make at home. Here is a good recipe from Korean Bapsang. This kimchi would be a perfect accompaniment!

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I love to hear from you.

cooking, kimchi, Korean

How to Fix Kimchi

On April 17, 2025 0 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

What is wrong with my kimchi?

Sometimes the kimchi you imagine making is different from the kimchi you actually end up with. There are so many variables involved that it is difficult to predict the outcome even if you follow the exact recipe every time. The ingredients are powerful: garlic, ginger, chilis, fish sauce, etc. The main elements are fresh vegetables, which may be different every time you buy them. One cabbage may have more water content than another. Or a greater sugar content. One clove of garlic may be more intense than the next. One chilli powder is spicier than the other. And so on…

On top of that, the finished kimchi itself is alive, changing dramatically over time as it ferments and ages. So, if you have a very specific expectation of what your kimchi should taste like…it will probably get there eventually but it won’t stay there for long.

It is important to start with good quality ingredients and a tested recipe. But, beyond that, there will always be aspects that are difficult to control. Some flavours can be manipulated to some degree after the fact. And, of course, mistakes can happen in executing any recipe. Some are more repairable than others.

Before you do anything

Don’t worry about how to fix your kimchi until it has a little time to settle down. A freshly made batch of kimchi contains ingredients that have intense and pungent flavours. Dry ingredients need time to fully hydrate. Veggies continue to release water for some time diluting everything else. Don’t judge your kimchi until you have given it two or three days to come together.

After that time, give it a taste and then decide if there is a problem….

Let’s have a look at a few common issues and how to fix your kimchi:

My kimchi is too sour

Freshly made kimchi is not sour at all. As it ferments, lactic acid is produced, resulting in a sour flavour over time. If your kimchi is already more sour than you like, there is not much you can do to reverse it. However, sour kimchi is ideal for warm recipes like kimchi jjigae, kimchi fried rice or kimchi pancakes. In my opinion, the more sour it is, the more delicious for cooking with. So keep this sour batch for cooked meals. Ideas for how to use sour kimchi are here.

If you like fresh and crisp tasting kimchi, store it in the refrigerator immediately after making it. Cool temperatures will delay the onset of fermentation and slow the progress over time. Your kimchi will stay “fresh” much longer. Consider making smaller batches so you can finish it before it gets too sour. It is fine to cut recipes in half to always have a fresh batch on hand.

My kimchi is not sour enough

If you like your kimchi sour, once you finish making it, leave it out at room temperature. It will not go bad. Taste it once or twice a day and, when it is just about sour enough, refrigerate it to slow down the fermentation. Make sure you are pressing the veggies back down under the brine every time you taste it. If you like both fresh and sour kimchi for different uses, put half in the refrigerator right away and ferment the other half at room temperature until sufficiently sour.

My kimchi is too spicy

Once you have mixed in your chilli flakes there is no going back. The spiciness may mellow a little in the first few days as the kimchi comes together, but not that much. The solution here is to control the amount of spice you are adding right from the start.

ALL chilli flakes are different…they are from different places with different weather patterns and growing seasons. No two will be equally spicy (or sweet). The only way to judge a chilli powder is to taste it. If it is burning hot on your tongue, start with 25% of what the recipe says and add from there. You will probably find that you need much less than the recipe calls for. On the other hand, if you happen to buy a sweeter, fruitier chilli powder with less heat, add as much as you like. Taste it when your kimchi paste is finished and adjust.

My kimchi is not spicy at all

Some chilli flakes are quite mild (and will likely say so on the package). I prefer these because you can add a large amount. Your kimchi will have a deep red colour and a nice fruity chilli character. Just like above, taste the chilli and adjust as you go. If you really want sharp heat, as a last resort you can mix in a some cayenne pepper. This will ramp up the heat without affecting the overall flavour too much.

My kimchi tastes “fishy”

Fish sauces vary in saltiness and “fishiness”. Try as many as you can and choose the one you like best. In general, avoid ones with more than 2 or 3 ingredients. Many are made with anchovy but some are made with other fish, like sand lance. They will all taste “fishy” to some extent so if this is a flavour you don’t enjoy, just use less or none at all. It is not an essential ingredient for a successful kimchi but you will lose some depth of flavour without it. You can also play with the amount of salted shrimp you are using from lowering the amount to using none at all. These ingredients contribute salt to the recipe, so if you remove them you may need to replace them with some kosher or sea salt.

My kimchi is fizzy

When the lactic acid content gets very high in a long fermented batch of kimchi, you may feel fizziness on your tongue. Your kimchi has not spoiled but it may be fermented beyond the point where you like to eat it raw. It will still be excellent for cooking though and the fizz will disappear in a hot dish.

My kimchi is too salty

This is a tough one. If it is not too extreme, you may be able to dilute the salty flavour to some extent. The best way to do this, without destroying the balance of the finished kimchi, is to add more vegetables. Korean radish has a high water content and ferments nicely. Peel and chop up a korean radish and sink it into your finished kimchi. The salt in the kimchi will draw water from the radish which should dilute the mix and decrease the saltiness somewhat. Give it a few days and taste it again. Hopefully it will be improved but if not, you may need to reserve this kimchi for hot cooking, adding small amounts to dishes as both flavouring and seasoning.

The best thing is to figure out why it is so salty in the first place. Most recipes will include a step where the salted cabbage gets a rinse. This is to wash the cabbage but also to remove excess salt. Don’t forget this step. Other sources of salt in the recipe are the fish sauce and salted shrimp. If you like your kimchi less salty, you may need to use less of these ingredients.

Lastly, but maybe most importantly, do not use fine iodized table salt in your kimchi. A cup of this salt is much much saltier than a cup of kosher or coarse sea salt. No matter which salt you choose, the best thing you can do is weigh your salt. For reference, a cup of Diamond Crystal kosher salt weighs around 140 grams or 5oz. This kosher salt in the red box is the one I use for everything. If you are using a different salt, try weighing it out to control saltiness in your finished batch. This is a good post about salt varieties and substitutions.

a picture of a box of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt — This is Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. I use it for everything including kimchi. It is an excellent general purpose kitchen salt. Any recipe I post uses this salt. I think Morton’s may be more common in the US but it is heavier by volume. Weigh it to be sure.

Many recipes online give salt measurements in cups instead of weight. Try to find one that gives a weight for salt instead. Click here for my napa kimchi recipe.

My kimchi is bland

Bland tasting kimchi is probably from a lack of salt which is an easy fix. Simply add more salt or fish sauce or salted shrimp. Bland kimchi can also be improved by increasing the chilli powder, or tossing in a few more cloves of crushed garlic or ginger. Sometimes a little sugar can help as well but start with small amounts, taste and add as necessary.

My kimchi is too watery

Watery kimchi is not necessarily a bad thing thing. There are even “water kimchi” recipes where the kimchi juice is either eaten or used in other recipes. But, if you have made a regular cabbage kimchi recipe and you find it too watery or bland, there are a few things to consider.

It is possible that the cabbage was processed before it was brined long enough. Once the cabbage is salted, it needs around 2 hours to absorb salt and release water. If you combine it with the kimchi paste too soon, the cabbage will continue to release water into the salty paste and dilute the batch.

Or…

The cabbage was not drained enough. The cabbage will need to be rinsed/washed after the 2 hour brining time. After washing, the cabbage needs to be drained thoroughly. You can place it into a large colander, moving it/flipping it every few minutes until no more water is draining out the bottom. This can take some time. Maybe as long as 10-15 minutes. If you rush this process and mix still wet cabbage with your kimchi paste, it could also end up too watery.

You can drain off some water from a finished batch if you just want to eat the vegetables. Just make sure there is enough liquid left to keep the veggies submerged. It is probably a better idea to just use a slotted spoon to remove the kimchi you want to eat and keep all that juice for flavouring a soup or stew later on.

My kimchi is moldy

I have only had mold grow on kimchi once in the last 10 years and it was because I left chunks of kkakdugi above the liquid and forgot about it for some time. The radish pieces that were not submerged began to mold. That was my fault. I don’t think kimchi spoils very easily, however:

IF there is green, blue or black mold on your kimchi, the safest thing to do is discard it and make a new batch. White spots are more likely yeast. If it’s more than just a few small spots, I would be inclined to toss it as well although I have read that rinsing it and cooking with it is ok. If the kimchi is soft or slippery/slimy and smells BAD, throw it out.

To avoid these kinds of problems, make sure that the container you are storing your kimchi in is clean and sanitized (boiling water sanitizing is fine). Keep it covered in the fridge. It is also important to keep the veggies submerged in the brine. Press the kimchi vegetables back down under the brine after you use it. As an alternative you can hold back one or two whole cabbage leaves and use them as a natural lid on top of your cut vegetables. Or do the same thing with plastic wrap.

Consistency comes with practice

I have been making kimchi regularly for around 10 years and no two batches are exactly alike. There are too many variables that are difficult to control, not to mention that the finished kimchi keeps changing over time. But, with practice, I have learned how to steer things in the right direction and almost always end up with something i really enjoy eating.

As you can see above, some things can be manipulated after the kimchi is finished but it’s best to get things right at the start. Make notes of what you like or don’t like with each batch and vary your ingredients until your kimchi tastes delicious to you. There is no “best” or “correct” kimchi. There is only the one you enjoy eating. Make that your goal.

If you have any questions or if you are having issues that I haven’t thought of here, please post a comment below. I always enjoy hearing from you.

cooking, kimchi, Korean

What to do with Kimchi

On April 2, 2025 5 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

A photograph of 2 red and ragged quarters of aged cabbage kimchi on a cutting board. The bright red kimchi is making a heart shape. — photo copyright @ TigerSalad

I took this picture a few years back in my restaurant kitchen. Two quarters of fermented whole Napa cabbage kimchi landed on my cutting board in a heart shape. I molded them a little and mopped up the juice and we used the photo later for a Valentine’s Day promotion.

I almost always made whole cabbage kimchi in my professional kitchen, a very time consuming and messy business. Koreans who still make it this way typically do so outside in late autumn. Or, if it has to be made indoors, the floor is covered in plastic sheeting as if the kitchen is about to get painted.

Making whole cabbage kimchi is a fun and relaxing process: to salt and stuff whole cabbages leaf by leaf is even meditative. You can do it at home. I have done it. But afterwards, my kitchen ends up looking like a murder scene. So instead of painting the kitchen red with chili paste, these days I make this cut kimchi recipe. It is relatively easy, and definitely manageable with minimal time, space and tools. And it is delicious! I eat it every day.

Once you find a recipe that you like and you make a batch of kimchi at home, you might be wondering what you can do with it.

Kimchi is alive

Just like all living things, kimchi ages. One month from now the texture and flavour will be quite different. Freshly made kimchi is crisp and bright like a spicy salad. You can taste all of the individual ingredients. Over time, this fresh kimchi will soften as it ferments. The initial sharp and distinct flavours will meld into something more deep, dark and complex. And, as fermenting bacteria produce lactic acid, it will become more and more sour. After enough time has passed, it will sour to the point that the acid levels feel “fizzy” on your tongue.

The good news is that kimchi never really goes “bad”. At every stage of fermentation, there are many ways to eat it. Nothing is wasted.

The list below is divided into things you can do with fresh kimchi vs things you can do with aged kimchi. I think, in general, fresh kimchi is best eaten cold and aged sour kimchi is best eaten hot but it is not a hard rule. You can try either in any preparation.

Freshly made kimchi

Kimchi, even freshly made, is a powerful ingredient. Start with a little bit, taste and add more little by little until you are happy with the flavour.

1-Eat it as is: fresh cold kimchi is a refreshing side dish to eat with almost anything. It is especially good to balance the flavours of fattier foods and meats and makes these things easier to digest. I can’t eat eggs without a side of kimchi anymore.

2-As a salad topping: you can use small leaves of fresh kimchi as an ingredient in any fresh salad. Creamy salads like Caesars also taste wonderful with some julienned fresh kimchi on top.

3-Burger or hotdog topping: like a pickle or relish, chopped fresh kimchi will balance the intense smokiness of sausage or the charred meaty flavours of a burger.

4-Raw oyster topping: A tiny amount of fresh chopped kimchi on top of a raw oyster is a perfect accompaniment. This is especially true for sweeter fattier Pacific oyster varieties but also works well for briny east coast oysters.

5-Avocado Toasts: these days, a lot of us are enjoying the rich flavours and health benefits of ripe avocado smeared on toast. I love it too and often include a bit of fresh chopped kimchi and green onion in the avocado mash. It is especially delicious with a fried egg on top. Addictive!

6-Shrimp Cocktail: whoever first combined ketchup and horseradish as a shrimp dip was a culinary genius. Add a little chopped kimchi into your cocktail sauce. It will tone down the sweetness of the ketchup and add a little garlic and spice for a slight variation on a classic combination.

7-Fresh rolls: if you like rice paper rolls stuffed with crisp veggies and/or shrimp and pork, a little chopped fresh kimchi can add a subtle spicy and garlicky flavour.

8-Kimbap: a little kimchi rolled up with the rice and other ingredients in your kimbap is delicious, especially if you are also making them with tuna!

9-Tuna Sandwich: if you enjoy classic canned tuna and mayo sandwiches as much as I do, try chopping some fresh kimchi into the mix. It brightens up the flavour and is a perfect match for the oily mayo and meaty tuna. If I don’t have kimchi on hand, I don’t even consider making this sandwich. It is that good.

10-Bloody Mary/Bloody Caesar Cocktail: try substituting the tobasco in your cocktail recipe with some fresh juice from your kimchi stash. You can even garnish with some small fresh kimchi leaves. Sour kimchi works great here too.

11-Kimchi Devilled Eggs: mix some finely chopped kimchi into the mayo and egg yolk mixture to brighten the colour and flavour of this classic dish. Top with chopped chives or green onion for a perfect finish. Also good with sour kimchi.

Aged Kimchi

Sour kimchi is an ingredient in many classic Korean dishes. For excellent traditional recipes to try at home, please have a look at Maangchi’s website , Korean Bapsang or My Korean Kitchen. There are countless sources for Korean cooking on the internet but these three are the ones I look to first for great food and writing.

Classic Korean dishes using sour kimchi:

1-Kimchi fried rice: an excellent way to use up leftover white rice. Top with chopped roasted seaweed, toasted sesame, sesame oil, green onion and fried egg. Here is a link to my kimchi fried rice recipe.

2-Kimchi jeon (pancake): Aged kimchi and it’s juices are made into a batter using flour and/or rice starch. Fried in oil until crispy outside and served with soy and vinegar sauce. Addictive. Good recipe here.

3-Kimchi jjigae (stew): there are a variety of thick and hearty stews made with aged kimchi. Ingredients can be fresh veggies, tofu, meats, tuna and other fish. Even spam and ramen noodles or hotdogs in the case of Buddae Jjigae (Army base stew). Here is a good classic recipe from Maangchi. Buddae jjigae here from My Korean Kitchen.

4-Kimchi Guk (soup): similar to kimchi jjigae but a little lighter and thinner. Look here for a good recipe to try.

5-Kimchi Mandu (dumplings): Korean dumplings, steamed, fried or in soup are delicious. If you want to try making your own have a look at this recipe from Korean Bapsang. You can also buy pretty good frozen ones at Korean grocers though they will probably never be as good as the fresh made.

6-Kimchi Jjim (braised kimchi): An incredibly deep and flavourful braise of aged kimchi and pork. You can also substitute in other meats, fish and/or mushrooms. I have also made this with really tough cuts of beef and the results are always very good. It is one of my favourite ways to eat really ripe kimchi. Here is a good recipe.

Other uses for aged kimchi

In my last 10 years as a chef I made tons of kimchi and tons of staff meals. The restaurant staff were always the test subjects for kimchi experiments but I honestly never received a lot of complaints. Most of the things listed below I have made myself at one time or another.

1. Pasta Sauces: aged kimchi, in small amounts will wake up any tomato sauce. You won’t exactly taste kimchi but you will taste something…GOOD. Kimchi will add a little punch to any tomato sauce with it’s heat, acidity and fermented funk. It is surprisingly delicious. This also works in cream sauces where you end up with a kind of spicy, garlicky rose…excellent with seafood.

2. Baked Pasta: Expanding on the above point, layers of kimchi alongside layers of tomato and meat sauce in a lasagna or any baked pasta is an outstanding flavour boost.

3. One more noodle: kimchi macaroni and cheese is next level delicious. Make it from scratch or even stir chopped kimchi into your boxed mac n cheese.

4. Burgers and Pizza: Warm aged kimchi is a fantastic topping on burgers (put it under the cheese) and pizza. You can also puree aged kimchi into any pizza sauce to brighten it up.

5. Kimchi Grilled Cheese sandwich: I see this one talked about a lot because it is a fantastic idea. Try it with a smoked cheese or layer of smokey bacon for maximum pleasure

6. Instant Ramen (or any cup noodles): another classic application because it is so good. Use only half the powder of your instant ramen packet and substitute in some well fermented kimchi and juice. Add an egg too. A little more healthy and definitely more delicious.

7. Hot sauce: many hot sauces are made from fermented chilis (heat) and vinegar (acid). Aged kimchi has both of these qualities. Put kimchi juice and leaves in a blender and puree. Add some extra chilli flakes to ramp up the heat if you like. Instant kimchi flavour that you can easily add to anything.

8. Hollandaise Sauce: add some well aged chopped or pureed kimchi into your egg yolks at the start of your hollandaise sauce. If it is sour enough, it can replace vinegar, shallots and cayenne like magic.

9. Kimchi Potato Hash: Boil and chop potatoes. Fry bacon in a pan until fat is rendered, add aged chopped kimchi, add potatoes and cook until they start to brown and crisp. Amazing starch for any meat dish or even with eggs at brunch.

10. Chili con carne: If you are a chili lover, try adding a little aged kimchi into the mix. It will do the same thing it does for pasta sauce. You won’t exactly taste kimchi but you will taste something delicious.

11. Steamed mussels: kimchi and cream together (bacon too) make an excellent broth for steaming live mussels and dipping bread later.

12. Baked oysters: Oysters on the half shell with crispy bacon bits, aged kimchi and smoked (or even blue) cheese broiled in the oven.

13. Kimchi butter: aged kimchi cooked in butter and poured over fish or meat with fresh green onion or chives makes an flavourful and easy sauce.

14. Kimchi sour cream: chop some aged kimchi into sour cream and serve it with bacon bits on potato and cheese pierogis. Thanks for this suggestion Milosz!

Maybe not?

Many years ago, I may have made kimchi gelato. I think some people liked it but…it wasn’t unanimous. I think it was pretty good. Am I dreaming?

There must be more…

Today I sat down and tried to think of every way I have cooked with kimchi in the past. This is what I came up with for now but I am sure there are a lot more good ideas. If you have anything to add, please leave a suggestion in the comments and I will add it to the post. We can work on this list together : )

cooking, kimchi, Korean

Quick and Easy Napa Cabbage Kimchi Recipe

On March 20, 2025 4 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

It takes 2 hours to brine cabbage. There is no way around this. So, if you are wondering what quick kimchi is, I would say “2 hour kimchi”. If you salt the cabbage first thing, it will take around an hour to produce the kimchi paste and then an hour of waiting for your cabbage to finish brining before you mix everything together. Relative to all the other ways of making cabbage kimchi, this would be the fastest.

I first started making Napa cabbage kimchi in my professional restaurant kitchen, 12-16 heads of whole cabbage at a time. Determined to do everything by hand, I bought fresh garlic and peeled and minced every clove with a knife (2-3 hours just for this). Carrots, onions, radish, ginger: all cut by hand. My goal was to produce the most “hand-made” perfect kimchi I possibly could. Efficiency was not so important. Between shopping for all the ingredients, hauling them to the restaurant and finishing the kimchi, it took me the better part of 2 whole days. Of course, I had prep cooks to help with all the peeling and a dishwasher to clean up after me.

Did all this hand-work make any difference? I am not sure. At the time, as a non-Korean chef, I thought I had better try my hardest to make it as traditional as possible. But after reading lots of recipes and speaking with Korean cooks and friends that I knew, it seemed that most of their moms or grandmas were using food processors to make the process more efficient. Efficiency: this is a Korean tradition as well! The kimchi I make at home these days is just as delicious and makes less of a mess. Making cut kimchi instead of whole cabbage kimchi also makes the whole process a lot faster and saves me the trouble of cutting fermented kimchi every time I want to use it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole Napa cabbage (around 2kg)
80grams (around 1/2 cup) of Diamond Crystal kosher salt ***if you are using another kosher or sea salt, weigh out 80gr. DO NOT use fine table salt in this recipe.***
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon sugar or maesil plum syrup
1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh ginger sliced
1 medium onion
1/2 korean pear peeled (you can substitute a regular pear or apple)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon salted shrimp
1 cup mild korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) ***start with much less if your chilli flakes are very spicy. Taste first and add more as you like once the paste is done.
6 green onions
1 cup carrot cut matchsticks
1 cup korean radish matchsticks
1 cup chopped buchu (asian chives) or watercress (minari)

PROCESS:

Nappa cabbage split in to quarters by hand — Quarter the cabbage and remove stems

Example of bite sized cabbage pieces for kimchi — Chop into bite-sized pieces

Shows how to wash cabbage — Rinse cabbage a few times to remove dust and dirt

demonstrates drying cabbage in sieve — Drain it…

shows salt measure for brining cabbage — In a large container or bowl, toss the cabbage with the salt

shows to use big enough vessel for head of cabbage — I don’t have a big enough bowl so I am using a stockpot for now. Once the cabbage wilts, it will shrink dramatically and I will move it into a bowl…stir the cabbage up by hand once every 30 minutes. The cabbage will take 2 hours to brine.

shows measures of raw ingredients for rice flour slurry — Rice flour and water. I am using Mochiko brand but any rice flour will work. These ingredients will combine to make a slurry (juk) that will help feed fermenting bacteria and also hold your ingredients together.

shows finished consistency of rice flour slurry — Whisk water and rice flour over medium heat until it becomes thick and translucent. Set it aside to cool down. Next step…measure out fish sauce and shrimp…

shows example of quality fish sauce — I am using Red Boat fish sauce. I like this one but almost any fish sauce will do…

shows example of Korean salted shrimp in jar — This is tiny salted shrimp from Korea. They add a strong savoury flavour. I keep this jar in the freezer. The shrimp are so salty that they do not freeze but the jar lasts forever.

shows what salted shrimp look like — They even have little eyes 👀

shows raw ingredients loaded in food processor for kimchi paste — In a food processor, combine salted shrimp, fish sauce, rough chopped onion, peeled garlic cloves, and asian pear and sliced ginger

shows consistency of finished kimchi paste — Process into a puree and stir it into the cooled rice flour slurry (juk)

demonstrates adding of chilli flakes to kimchi paste — Use the best chilli flakes you can find. I recommend buying Korean grown and processed gochugaru. It is about 3 times as expensive as the cheap stuff but it tends to be more fruity and less sharp and spicy. How much you put in is up to you. The amount can be adjusted depending on how spicy you want it.

shows addition of syrup to sweeten kimchi paste — Stir in sugar or syrup. I am using plum syrup (maesil cheong). You can buy maesil syrup already made at any Korean grocer if you want to try it. If not, white or brown sugar work just fine.

shows what green onion and buchu look like — Chop buchu and green onions into 1cm pieces

shows Benriner mandolin for making vegetable matchsticks for kimchi — I use this Benriner slicer for the carrot and radish

shows size of cut carrots and radish — It makes quick work of a perfect matchstick

shows all ingredients prior to mixing into kimchi paste — Mix veggies into the puree

shows finished kimchi sauce — This is the finished sauce. It has an intensely savoury and meaty smell. It always reminds me of a Bolognese sauce for pasta.

shows cabbage wilted after some time — Once the cabbage is done brining, these two parts will get mixed together

demonstrates washing of cabbage — After 2 hours of bring the cabbage will have wilted and released a large amount of water. Wash it a few times and drain it completely.

shows two halves of kimchi coming together — Combine with the finished sauce and mix by hand…

shows the finished kimchi in bowl — Done! You can give it a taste at this point to adjust for sweetness or spiciness.

shows a fully loaded onggi container for fermenting kimchi — I start off the fermentation process in this onggi jar made especially for kimchi fermentation. It is not strictly necessary but I have them around so I use them. You can also age your kimchi in any glass or food safe plastic container. Remember to leave some space in the container for the kimchi to expand as it ferments. Don’t fill it to the top. If you start it on the counter, leave the lid loose and put a tray or towel underneath just in case it overflows a little. The fermentation will slow down in the refrigerator, but it’s still a good idea to keep your container on a dish or tray for a day or two until you are sure the fermentation has settled down.

shows closed onggi container demonstrating finished process — I usually leave it out at room temperature overnight to get the fermentation started and then move it into the fridge in this container. That way I can enjoy it fresh for some time and let it ferment slowly in the fridge. When it is sour enough, I will move it to airtight glass containers. This amount usually lasts me a month or so by which time the kimchi is quite sour. If you like your kimchi more fermented, just leave it out on the counter until it is as sour as you like before moving it to the fridge.

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS

You can find my straightforward recipe for vegan napa cabbage kimchi here.

IF YOU DON”T LIKE SPICY FOOD…

…just leave out the chilli flakes. Your kimchi will still ferment and be delicious.

Enjoy!

That’s it! A very simple kimchi recipe. It is still pretty messy and time consuming but, it will always taste better than anything you will buy in a jar at the grocery store and you will have the satisfaction of handpicking all of the ingredients yourself and making it as spicy as you like. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.

Here is a link to my favourite kimchi fried rice recipe. And for more ideas about what to do with your new batch of kimchi, have a look at this post.

cooking, kimchi, Korean