Update: My first kimchi batch cost me $40 and a whole weekend

I got really excited and bought all the fancy stuff for my first try. I got a special fermenting crock online, the expensive Korean chili flakes, and even organic napa cabbage from the fancy grocery store. I followed a video that said to use a whole cup of fish sauce, which was a mistake. After a week, it smelled so strong I had to throw the whole thing out. I lost about $40 on the ingredients and wasted my whole Saturday making it. I felt pretty dumb for not starting with a simple recipe. Has anyone had a kimchi fail like that? What's a good beginner recipe that won't break the bank?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbararamirez1mo ago

Honestly, my friend did something similar and used way too much fish sauce in her first batch. Tbh her whole kitchen smelled like low tide for a week, she had to open all the windows. She also bought this huge, expensive jar of special salt and only used a spoonful. Ngl, it really put her off trying again for like a year. She found a super simple recipe online later that just uses cabbage, salt, garlic, ginger, and the chili flakes, no fancy extras. It turned out way better and didn't cost half her grocery money.

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elliot_lane961mo ago

Yeah, that tracks. My cousin's first attempt at fermenting hot sauce basically turned into a science project.