My kimchi is mushy, not crunchy like it should be, what went wrong? It’s possible your kimchi fermented in a room that was too hot. Higher temperatures can lead to the bacteria becoming a bit overactive, breaking down the structure of the vegetables.
Slimy Kimchi?? No.. we don’t want NO SLIMY KIMCHI!!
Hope all of you had a good summer!
I did and then also kinda I didn’t.. well, that’s just life, isn’t it?
I had a great summer with family, with my mom visiting for the first part and then visiting Korea in August to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 80th Birthday. We also got to squeeze in a quick trip to Jeju Island (yes, posts about that coming soon!) with my daughter so that was really nice. But spending a lot of time with family (which I don’t regret at all) also implies that I got lazy and kinda behind in my blogging. So in that sense, as far as work goes, it was not the best summer. But… it was a really full and busy summer with lots of family time.
Now, onto our main topic of SLIMY KIMCHI.
So, my friend Judith recently visited me with her mul kimchi 물김치 that she made with my recipe. By the way, she was so sweet when she came to my home with a bottle of her mul kimchi – she said, “I gave you every chance for us not to meet today so you wouldn’t have to deal with this….” HAHAHA.. Judith, you are just too nice!
Throughout the years we were friends, this was the first time she mentioned anything about my recipe not turning out right for her. So naturally, I was quite surprised and a little bit anxious to find out why. Judith, I’m thankful that you were honest with me and gave me a chance to redeem myself!
Judith said she followed my mul kimchi recipe to the tee but it somehow came out slimy. It tasted fine but it had a pretty slimy feel to the kimchi liquid. What?? Strange…But then again, Kimchi is really fussy (I told Judith) and you never know why it doesn’t turn out exactly the way it did as before. If there’s one thing that you hear a lot from Korean moms who make Kimchi, it is – “hmm.. not sure why, but my kimchi didn’t turn out as well as last time.”
There are so many things that can go wrong in making Kimchi- radish can be bitter; cabbage can be too thin, too thick, too fibrous, or even bitter; bad salt (bitter, not flavorful); bad gochukaru (chili powder is too spicy, not flavorful, too old..); veggies are brined too long or too short.. I mean there can be thousand reasons why.
But, for now, let’s just try to answer the question –
Does kimchi go bad?
FAQ
Why is my kimchi so soft?
Why is my kimchi not crunchy anymore?
Is mushy kimchi OK to eat?
Why is my kimchi so dry?
Why is my kimchi not crunchy?
If your kimchi is not crunchy, it could be for a few reasons. One reason could be that you didn’t salt the cabbage properly. Make sure to generously salt your veggie and let it sit for a few hours before rinsing it off. Another reason could be that you ferment it for too long.
What food goes well with kimchi?
Foods that go well with kimchi are Korean barbecue pork, avocado toast, Korean dumplings, shrimp pineapple fried rice, braised short ribs, cheese omelette, kimchi loaded fries, beer-battered fish tacos, chicken wings, Korean sushi rolls.
Why is my kimchi not bubbling?
If any air can get into the container, it isn’t suitable for kimchi. Check the seal for micro-cracks and gaps to avoid kimchi not bubbling. As you already know, both too little and too much salt can prevent your kimchi from bubbling. Therefore, measuring the right amount of salt is essential to get high-quality kimchi.
Why does kimchi taste bad?
If your aromatics are off or your cheap fish sauce is full of sugar, your kimchi probably won’t taste great either. From a technical level, low-quality kimchi paste is bad for fermentation as well. Inadequate components may hinder the development of the characteristic tanginess and complexity that fermented kimchi is known for.