18
A guy at the farmers market told me my sauerkraut was too salty...
He said it tasted like 'the ocean,' so I cut my salt ratio from 3% to 2.5% and the last batch is way better. Anyone have a go-to percentage for kimchi?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
daniel1403mo ago
Yeah, milam48 has a point about safety, but honestly for kimchi I go even lower, like 1.5% to 2% salt by weight of the veggies. The paste with gochugaru and fish sauce adds more saltiness too, so starting lower works. My last batch at 1.8% was tangy and crisp, not mushy at all.
6
vera_lewis21mo ago
Got a buddy who makes killer kimchi and he swore by 2% salt for years. One time he got cocky and dropped it to 1.5% because he was in a rush and didn't weigh anything. The whole batch turned into this weird slimy paste after a week. He had to toss the whole jar and it stunk up his fridge for days. Now he's back to 2.5% and his kimchi is perfect again. So I say stick with what works and don't get too cute with the ratios.
3
milam483mo ago
Honestly, I'd push back on that advice. A 3% brine is pretty standard for solid fermentation and safety (you know, keeping the bad bugs out). That 'ocean' taste might just mean it needed to ferment longer, letting the salt mellow out. Cutting salt can sometimes lead to a mushy, weird-textured batch.
1