My first batch of kimchi turned out way too salty and a friend called it 'brine with cabbage'

I followed an old recipe from a book I got in Seattle about five years ago, using a full cup of salt for a 2-gallon crock. A buddy tried it and just said it was like eating the ocean. So I cut the salt down to a half cup and started tasting the brine before packing. The next batch had a much better balance of sour and spice. Anyone else have a hard time getting the salt level right when they started?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix_black14d ago

Remember my first time trying to pickle cucumbers, used way too much salt water and they turned into rubbery little salt bombs. Took a few tries to learn that less is more with the brine. Sounds like you figured out the same thing with your kimchi by tasting as you go. That old book recipe was doing you dirty with a whole cup.

nora_park14d ago

Rubber salt bombs sound kinda dramatic. It's just pickles, not a science project.

milaw1413d ago

Wait a whole cup of salt? That's insane.