Fermented pickle problem?

[Evilgrin]

Open air fermented vegetables can be really good when done correctly. A bit of honey or sucrose added to the brine feeds the acetobacter really well, but after open aeration s finished, the brined veggies need to be immediately refrigerated or they'll wilt - a LOT.
When we do kimchi, it gets aerated then packed into large covered jars, kept unsealed, so gas can escape. The jar should sit no more than one day MAX at room temps. I do two days because I prefer more sour kimchi that literally fizzes on the tongue. Anything that doesn't get eaten as a side dish can usually be dropped into a soup base and boiled .... spicy noodle soup with diced fermented Daikon radish.... yum yum.

One day max for kimchi and you risk it going bad before enough lactic acid is produced. Ive made more batches than i can remember. I make kkakdugi also. The only batch that failed went in the fridge too soon.

Put it in the fridge when it smells sour and sample some brine or a piece to be sure. Normally about 3 days is how long mine sets out before it goes in the fridge. Within about a month its PUCKER sour but its not bad after about a week or two.

Ive got kimchi in the fridge atm moment that is over 4 months old and is outstanding for jjiggae or guk. (stew or soup)

BTW puree a little Asian pear or Bosc pear for your radish kimchi. Lacto B loves the stuff and the subtle flavor compliments the kkakdugi very well.

 

[Lefou]

We've never had any "bad" kimchi in my house.
It doesn't tend to last longer than two weeks, but if it does, into the soup it goes. Boiling and dilution tends to cut the acidity down but if you like red pepper spicy soup base, it's excellent.
One interesting thing, though. I love kraut, pickles, and Asian fermented foods but despise soured beers and lambics.
Go figure.

 

[Evilgrin]

I dont even touch mine for 2 weeks other than a sample. I like my kimchi RIPE! Radish kimchi is ready sooner with a little pear in it. Kraut by comparison has barely begun at 1 week at room temp. Its sour but dont taste like good kraut yet or have the right mouth feel.

I normally have 2-3 batches going so i always have old kimchi for stew stashed in the back of the fridge. My dad and brother are even hooked on it now. They love my Jjiggae.

 

[Albionwood]

One day? It's hardly even kimchi yet. Like evilgrin, I let mine ferment for ten to 14 days, in a crock, before jarring and refrigerating. It continues to ferment even at fridge temps, getting more sour and unlocking more flavors... It lasts for months if there's enough of it. Right now I am eating the very last of a batch made in March; it is still good, though the vegetables have lost their crunch. Fortunately the July batch is also in there, and that will carry me over until the Chinese cabbage in the garden is ready.

I think some of the disparity in times might relate to climate. Where I live, summers are cool, and "room temp" is about 64 F pretty much all year.

ETA: Kimchi soup is my sovereign rememdy against the common cold.

 

[Evilgrin]

If any ferment tastes "fizzy" its because it is still fermenting. The bacteria is still consuming the sugars and creating C02/lactic acid. A little acetic acid is also created by one of the bacteria.

Make a jar of kraut or kimchi and stash it away for a month. A long cool to cold ferment like i posted. You might be amazed how much different it tastes after a month+.

BTW try Taiwanese cabbage for ferments or sweet pickled with rice wine vinegar. Its wonderful. It looks like green cabbage but they are flatter.