My first kimchi fermentation exploded all over my pantry shelf

I had a jar of kimchi going in my apartment in Portland last winter. After about 5 days I burped it but forgot to put it in a bowl or tray. The next morning I heard a pop and found red liquid dripping down three shelves of canned goods. It took me an hour to clean the mess and I nearly gave up on fermented foods. Anyone else had a jar burst on them and still kept going?

2 comments

2 Comments

pat_hart17d ago

Why would you keep going after that? It sounds like a sign from the universe that fermented foods aren't for you. Most people I know who had jars burst just tossed everything and moved on to something simpler like pickling. You spent an hour scrubbing red goop off canned goods, that's not a hobby, that's a biohazard cleanup. Fermentation is supposed to be controlled and predictable, not a ticking time bomb in your pantry. Sometimes the easiest solution is to just stop doing the thing that keeps making a mess.

fiona_reed16d ago

and @pat_hart I gotta disagree with the universe thing, because honestly that's just how learning goes sometimes. every single new hobby I've ever tried had some kind of disaster where I almost quit, like my first sourdough starter that turned into a science experiment in my kitchen. it's not about the mess, it's about whether you actually want to eat the thing you're trying to make in the end.