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Serious question, I just read that a single jar of kimchi can have over 100 different kinds of bacteria
Honestly, I was reading this article from a university food science page last night, and it said a proper batch of homemade kimchi can develop more than 100 distinct bacterial strains. I always figured it was just a few, like lactobacillus doing most of the work. Tbh, it kind of blew my mind thinking about all those tiny cultures working together in my last batch, which was just napa cabbage, gochugaru, and some fish sauce I had. It makes me wonder if my usual 7-day ferment on the counter is even long enough for that whole community to get established properly. I found it on the Cornell University website while looking up why my last jar got a bit too fizzy. Has anyone else come across this and maybe adjusted their ferment time because of it?
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felix4141mo ago
Heard a Korean food blogger mention once that the 100+ bacteria thing is more about the variety of bacteria, not the total number, and that most of them are harmless. Your mileage may vary, but she said the real flavor development happens after a week, especially if you cold ferment it longer. I'd say keep doing your 7 days and just let it sit in the fridge for another week or two, see if the flavor gets more complex.
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moore.beth1mo ago
Guess my kimchi's got a more active social life than I do.
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nguyen.morgan1mo ago
Oh man, that's the sign of a good batch though. At least something in your fridge is having fun.
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