The week my kimchi turned into a fizzy science project

Last November, I decided to try a new kimchi recipe from a blog, using my usual 2-liter jar. I followed the steps, but I guess I packed it too tight and left it in a warmer spot by the radiator. Three days in, I heard a faint hissing when I burped the jar. By day five, opening it was like popping a soda, with brine fizzing over the rim. The taste was super sour and almost prickly from all the carbonation. It wasn't bad, just way more active than any batch I've made before. I ended up using most of it for stews where the tang worked. Has anyone else had a ferment get that fizzy, and did you find a good use for it?

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1 Comment

elizabethpalmer5h ago

Oh, that fizzy stage. I've had that happen when my kitchen was too warm. The carbonation can get intense. I usually just poke the kimchi down with a clean spoon a few times a day to let some gas escape before it builds up. That super sour, fizzy batch is perfect for kimchi jeon, the pancakes. The tang cuts through the batter really well. I've also just let it keep going in the fridge until it mellowed out a bit.