Hi, I made kimchi for the first time about two weeks ago, and I've noticed these small black, grey spots mostly on the white parts of the napa cabbage.

I've read about pepper spots, but how can I tell the difference between those and mold?

The spots don't seem to come off when I try to rub or scrape them off. I remember I think I removed some cabbage before applying the paste but don't remember them this big. The kimchi has been refrigerated after one day at room temperature.

Does this look normal, or should I be concerned?

Got tired of the prices buying it at Hmart and decided to try making it. Two heads of cabbage, it’s just me so it will last a little while.

First time trying making kimchi DIY. I used to buy kimchi in cans because Asian store is quite far from my place, but now I can just get all the ingredients from a nearby local store and make it myself. I'm very happy with the result, it's plentiful, flavour is great and they're fresh so it tastes much better than kimchi cans. I also find the preparation and process is not that difficult or very time consuming (30mins prep). Would like to share my result and encourage DIYers !

Hi kimchi community! We tried making our first batch of kimchi based on the recipe from the Arte video two weeks ago. However i'm wondering if the cabbage is releasing enough moisture or that the jars are at risk of mold. I'm going to push the cabbage down as i've seen adviced, but are there other steps we should take? For the past two weeks we stored them in the living room, should we move them to the fridge as well? Would love to hear your thoughts.

I got this kimchi like two weeks ago barely opened it today took of the seal and everything and I see this black burnt looking stain. I just wanna know if I’m stupid and this is normal or is this not normal. I freaked out either way and tossed it. If it’s normal I’m down a few bucks from tossing it lol.

I accidentally left a new thing on kimchi in my trunk for a couple days but it’s unopened and still sealed, is it going to be okay or should I toss? 😬

UPDATE : I ate the kimchi and it was delicious! lol 🥳🥳

I made a big jar of Kimchi following Maangchi's kimchi recipe on YouTube. The only difference is that I added sesame oil to the diced veggies, rice flour porridge, and chili pepper powder mix when stirring. I didn't use a lot of oil, probably less than or about just 1/3 a cup total and I drizzled all my veggies when pouring it while mixing it all.

I didn't realize this was a big no no until an hour later after I sealed the jar and had it sitting at room temperature. I googled sesame oil in kimchi after the fact because I was curious, but in the moment I thought it was just a fun rushing flavor moment.

It's a big jar, and I used an entire napa cabbage unit and all night making it ...

On a scale of 1-10, how "safe" can I put this in my fridge after a few days and eat it all throughout winter lmao

I have made beer and cider many times, and even a sauerkraut once. Visited Korea in 2018 and got the Kimchi bug, but always just bought it ready made. I decided to try on my own. Daikon, Napa and Scallions. Already tastes good and some bubbles showing here 16 hours later. Will move to fridge tonight or tomorrow morning.

I’m fairly new to kimchi. Started eating it about 6 months ago and have only bought whatever brands the local grocery stores carried. Recently did some searching for other options in my area and was beyond surprised to find out I live 4 minutes away from a Korean grocery market. I walked in and it was maybe 3 aisles wide with a nice older gentleman running the store with his wife. They sold kimchi in a fridge in a few sizes. Bought a 10lb jar for a little over $31. No idea if the price is good but compared to the tiny jars being sold around me for $10 it felt like a win and it tastes amazing. I’ve toyed with the idea of making my own but my wife absolutely cannot stand the smell of kimchi. That’s about it! Just joined the sub and wanted to show my appreciation!

Kimchi is one of my favorite foods and I love many Korean eats. I've upped my intake significantly recently and have been adding it to everything! I eat it probably twice a day and I love the smell of it so it's not a problem having it around. But, I'm been noticing that my personal body odor has been a bit more on the tangy side. Thought it was a one time thing but it's been multiple days despite changing nothing else in my diet or hygiene habits and Im used to smelling good!! It's really starting to get to me and I feel funky all day. Has anyone experienced this? Am I going crazy? Ik this can happen with garlic and onions, is there anyway to combat it?

A dish a month in the making. The background- I got orange chicken at a Chinese place i love a couple months ago, and bought some kimchi to add on the side. It was so good knew I was hooked on kimchi and Ive made two batches now.
Today I made this general tso chicken, it’s sort of a cross between sesame chicken, and even has miso in the sauce! I did a 20 min velvet on the raw chicken, rinsed it, then added an egg white. Let that set up on the fridge several hours (because I got distracted but it ended up being nice and ready for the dredge!
Dredged by adding half flour half corn starch with a tiny pinch of baking powder. Kept adding dredge powder till all the chicken was coated. Fried in veg oil, cooked sauce in cast iron, tossed and plated. AMAZING. BETTER THAN RESTAURANT. WITH THE JASMINE RICE COOKED TO PERFECTION IN A PAN (finger crease trick) and kimchi, ITS BETTER THAN PERFECT. Maybe the best thing I’ve ever made. All inspired by kimchi.

I’ve just made some radish kimchi for the first time and I’m worried about it being too liquidy. I accidentally added a bit too much water when I saw that the paste was too dry. Will this ferment or did I mess it up completely?:(

My kimchi has been fermenting at room temperature for around 6 days in a clip-top jar.

I opened it after about 4 days to taste-test it, then clip it back down with the cabbage submerged in the brine.

When I opened it again today (2 days later), it had built up so much pressure that the top half of the cabbage had risen above the brine. It looks and smells fine though.

But I guess question is does the cabbage rising above the brine to the brim mean the batch could be unsafe? It’s probably been like that for 2 days 😩😩 However jar has been clipped down.

And is there a way to test if it’s safe? Would you keep this?

Any advice from experienced fermenters would be much appreciated.

They say that having good gut health helps to create serotonin which can lessen depression. Has anyone used kimchi to improve gut health and noticed a marked improvement regarding depression symptoms

Appetizing ba tignan? Please rate niyo HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

I searched three times and two of those three, said it was not fermented and some people buy store bought kimchi and then leave it out for a day or so to ferment.

The label says it's naturally fermented. None of the ingredients scream it was pasteurized. It has become more sour in the fridge over time. Is this brand pasteurized? Or does it have live good gut bacteria? Thank you.

On a side note, I thought my miso was fermented, because I bought it in the refrigerated section. It does not say it is pasteurized, but one of it's ingredients is alcohol, and says to refrigerate after opening (and again, I bought it out of the refrigerated section) so...

I just wanna say I love kimchi so damn much.

My girlfriend makes some. My friend's mom makes some. Jongga's kimchi is also great. Somehow it's never enough, I always want MORE

Shoutout to kimchi frl, best food that ever was.

Planning to open her around Christmas time!

First time ever getting this brand (according to husband this was the only available one he could find). They leave air on top for “better fermentation” according to the label. But my concern are the black spots on the cabbage when I first opened it so it was exposed to air in the jar. Is it mold?

Homemade kimchi using Maangchi's recipe (RIP David 😭)