My kimchi went from okay to amazing when I swapped my big jar for two smaller ones

I used to ferment my whole batch in a single 2-gallon jar, and it always got a bit too sour and mushy on the bottom. Last month, I split the same recipe between two 1-gallon jars, and the difference was huge. The smaller jars let me pack the cabbage tighter and everything fermented evenly, with a perfect crunch after just five days. Has anyone else found that container size makes or breaks a ferment?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_hart12d ago

Nah, I've always done mine in one big crock and it turns out fine. I just give it a good stir every couple days so the bottom doesn't overdo it.

ellis.felix12d ago

But like, is it really that big of a deal if the bottom gets a little softer? It all gets eaten anyway. I've never had a batch go bad from not stirring it enough, it just seems like extra work for not much payoff. As long as the brine covers everything, it's probably fine to just leave it alone.

christopher_hunt12d ago

So when you stir it, are you just mixing the top and bottom layers, or are you actually breaking up the cabbage to get it all exposed to the brine again? Because if you're just giving it a lazy swirl, I feel like the stuff at the very bottom is still just sitting there getting pulpy while the top stays firm.