Korean Mul KimChi

[Soup]

We've had a string of warm weather days and my thoughts turn to Nangmein and Mul Kimchi or TongChimi (your basic water kimchi). I've been actually trying to recreate a Mul Kimchi recipe for 3 years and have been unsuccessful.

The Mul Kimchi I remember was very tasty and it had this "tang" you could actually feel. It must be the fermenting process. It was something akin to taking a nine volt battery and putting it on your tongue (although, not as strong).

I have many many versions of the recipes and they all produce really good mul kimchi. But I have never gotten that "tang". I think I'm screwing up in the process and not the ingrediants. Any help?

[melonpan]

this wont help you but really really good stuff is like spicy icy seltzer water...

wish i could help you.

[touaregsand]

Tongchimi-

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Kg of mu (the small round ones with stems on. I think the greens give it that extra kick or "tang" if you will)

100 grams of coarse salt (korean pickling salt)

garlic to taste

Fresh ginger (the size of a thumb)

50 grams of green onions (the very thin kind)

50 grams of Korean pickled green peppers (optional)

Method:

Trim the stems off the mu and wash thouroughly in cold water.

Coat the mu evenly with salt, place in jar and cover with cool water. Let the mu soak in brine for about two days. Discard the initial brine.

Slice the ginger and garlic, place in a muslin bag or wrap in cheese cloth.

Place the mu, green onions, mu stems and pickled green peppers in alternating layers into a clean jar. The garlic and ginger should be placed in the center. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on each layer. The top layer should be composed of the green onions and stems. Cover with cool water.

The fermentation takes 10-20 days depending on the weather.

To serve slice the mu and cover with cold water (add a bit of the pickling brine to taste).

A way to add more 'kick' is with mustard greens. You can also add quartered Korean pear for a touch of sweetness.

[Soup]

Tongchimi-

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Kg of  mu (the small round ones with stems on. I think the greens give it that extra kick or "tang" if you will)

100 grams of coarse salt (korean pickling salt)

garlic to taste

Fresh ginger (the size of a thumb)

50 grams of green onions (the very thin kind)

50 grams of Korean pickled green peppers (optional)

Method:

Trim the stems off the mu and wash thouroughly in cold water.

Coat the mu evenly with salt, place in jar and cover with cool water. Let the mu soak in brine for about two days. Discard the initial brine.

Slice the ginger and garlic, place in a muslin bag or wrap in cheese cloth.

Place the mu, green onions, mu stems and pickled green peppers in alternating layers into a clean jar. The garlic and ginger should be placed in the center. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on each layer. The top layer should be composed of the green onions and stems. Cover with cool water.

The fermentation takes 10-20 days depending on the weather.

To serve slice the mu and cover with cold water (add a bit of the pickling brine to taste).

A way to add more 'kick' is with mustard greens. You can also add quartered Korean pear for a touch of sweetness.

←

Thank you. I have a recipe that is very close to this and have made it. But to be honest, the major difference is the length of fermentation. I've kept my in the basement for 7 days (the longest) before going in the fridge. It was good but didn't have the taste/feel I was looking for. Perhaps it did not ferment. Basement gets no light and is at a constant 66 to 64 degress year round.

Melonpan described it perfect. I looking for that "seltzer" feel and I'm assuming that the fermentation is what provides it?

Soup

[touaregsand]

Thank you. I have a recipe that is very close to this and have made it. But to be honest, the major difference is the length of fermentation. I've kept my in the basement for 7 days (the longest) before going in the fridge. It was good but didn't have the taste/feel I was looking for. Perhaps it did not ferment. Basement gets no light and is at a constant 66 to 64 degress year round.

Melonpan described it perfect. I looking for that "seltzer" feel and I'm assuming that the fermentation is what provides it?

That's why I recommended 10-20 days. By the way, the two most important techniques to be aware of when making kimchi is the brining and fermentation process. Recipes are not so important.

[Soup]

Thank you. I have a recipe that is very close to this and have made it. But to be honest, the major difference is the length of fermentation. I've kept my in the basement for 7 days (the longest) before going in the fridge. It was good but didn't have the taste/feel I was looking for. Perhaps it did not ferment. Basement gets no light and is at a constant 66 to 64 degress year round.

Melonpan described it perfect. I looking for that "seltzer" feel and I'm assuming that the fermentation is what provides it?

That's why I recommended 10-20 days. By the way, the two most important techniques to be aware of when making kimchi is the brining and fermentation process. Recipes are not so important.

←

Will try 10 to 20 day ferment. Any insight into temp. Like I said my basement is constant 66 to 64 degrees.

[touaregsand]

At about 50 degrees 20 days (more or less ).

In your basement at 64-66 degrees, maybe 15 days. Depends also on the size of the mu and the initial brining.

If you dig the seltzer effect ferment longer. Look at it, smell it, taste it. If it doesn't suit your palate, let it ferment longer.

[jschyun]

What do you guys think about Gil Mok's dongchimi guksu, made with (supposedly according to several sources I know) 7-Up? I have had it, and frankly think it is totally disgusting, but my Korean friends love it. What are your opinions?

[Soup]

What do you guys think about Gil Mok's dongchimi guksu, made with (supposedly according to several sources I know) 7-Up?  I have had it, and frankly think it is totally disgusting, but my Korean friends love it.  What are your opinions?

←

That sounds way too sweet. Someone mentioned on egullet that sweet should not be the foremost flavor but more of an undertone in korean dishes and it probably applies here.

But I eat stuff that grosses people out.

Rice bacon and kimchi...Perfect combo.

Soup

[touaregsand]

What do you guys think about Gil Mok's dongchimi guksu, made with (supposedly according to several sources I know) 7-Up?  I have had it, and frankly think it is totally disgusting, but my Korean friends love it.  What are your opinions?

←

You're hanging with the wrong crowd.

I've never tried that particular dish. I remember when I was a kid I was at a friend's house and the whole family got really excited about umah making her special mul nengmyun with 7 up. Turned me off to noodle dishes with soda in the broth forever.

Hey soup-

I've never tried rice, bacon and kimchi. But it doesn't sound like it would too different from other Asian-American favorite combos like spam, rice and kimchi or sausage, rice and kimchi.

[Soup]

What do you guys think about Gil Mok's dongchimi guksu, made with (supposedly according to several sources I know) 7-Up?  I have had it, and frankly think it is totally disgusting, but my Korean friends love it.  What are your opinions?

←

You're hanging with the wrong crowd.

I've never tried that particular dish. I remember when I was a kid I was at a friend's house and the whole family got really excited about umah making her special mul nengmyun with 7 up. Turned me off to noodle dishes with soda in the broth forever.

Hey soup-

I've never tried rice, bacon and kimchi. But it doesn't sound like it would too different from other Asian-American favorite combos like spam, rice and kimchi or sausage, rice and kimchi.

←

Basically variation on the theme. But its all good. I just had a snack of rice, kimchi and bob evens breakfast links. My wife gave me the look.

Soup

[Soup]

Tongchimi-

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Kg of  mu (the small round ones with stems on. I think the greens give it that extra kick or "tang" if you will)

100 grams of coarse salt (korean pickling salt)

garlic to taste

Fresh ginger (the size of a thumb)

50 grams of green onions (the very thin kind)

50 grams of Korean pickled green peppers (optional)

←

I started making it last night. I do have a couple of questions. I cut the mu from the green stem and am doing the initial pickling with the mu only. I am not the initial brining/pickling on the green stems. Is this correct?

Second when I assemble, how much water to mu and green stems should I be using. I'm also curious, did you leave out salt by chance on the recipe or there is no salt beyond the coarse salt for the initial brining which I plan to wash off.

Soup

[touaregsand]

I started making it last night. I do have a couple of questions. I cut the mu from the green stem and am doing the initial pickling with the mu only. I am not the initial brining/pickling on the green stems. Is this correct?

Second when I assemble, how much water to mu and green stems should I be using. I'm also curious, did you leave out salt by chance on the recipe or there is no salt beyond the coarse salt for the initial brining which I plan to wash off.

I add the green stems in the first brining.

I don't add salt when I assemble, because I find it salty enough even after washing of the saltiness from the brining. As for the amount of water, I say enough to cover, taste, if it's too strong, dilute with more water.

[Soup]

I didn't add the greens to the first brining, just the mu. To correct the situation, I added 3 TBL to each gallon jar today. About an hour later the water started turning a bit cloudy white from what was crystal clear. Did I complete screw it up? Sould I start over?

Soup

[touaregsand]

I didn't add the greens to the first brining, just the mu.  To correct the situation, I added 3 TBL to each gallon jar today.  About an hour later the water started turning a bit cloudy white from what was crystal clear.  Did I complete screw it up?  Sould I start over? 

Soup

←

Nah, don't throw it out. I asked my mom and she says, "don't worry about it."

[Soup]

Well its day three,

I have two gallon jars. One is sealed air tight and the other is not.

On the down side, both jars are showing signs of the green onion (green parts) going a bit brown. Not sure why this is happening.

I did a taste test on both. Air tight one doesn't taste quite right. It taste more or less like a salty water. No real character yet. The Non air tight one tastes great. It is no where near ready but it smells right and I can tell it is already developing that taste I'm looking for.

Will keep you posted.

Soup

[Soup]

One week and counting.

The non-air thight one is coming along well. The flavor was a bit more vinegary then a few days ago. I think I'm headed in the right direction but we are still a long ways from that "tang" I'm looking for.

The air-tight one, still no real flavor development. I'm thinking if I need to take the cap off. Any thoughts?

[touaregsand]

One week and counting.

The non-air thight one is coming along well.  The flavor was a bit more vinegary then a few days ago.  I think I'm headed in the right direction but we are still a long ways from that "tang" I'm looking for.

The air-tight one, still no real flavor development.  I'm thinking if I need to take the cap off.  Any thoughts?

←

Let it breath. The traditional ceramic vessels for making tongchimi aren't airtight.

[Soup]

Sorry there are no pictures...

The MulKimChi after 20 days was ready. To be honest, I think it was good but not great. Two problems I still need to resolve. First the Tang. It was sour/vinegary but it did not have the tang. Second, the color and state of the vegies were pretty sad. The color was not green (I wasn't looking for vibrant green) but I didn't want the them to look like vegitable that had set in the refridgerator too long. Second, the Mu didn't have the crunch. It was soft.

Any thoughts as to what went wrong?

Things that went right. The liquid tested pretty good and I had about two cups of it with dinner last night. I added a couple of Jalepenos and the liquid finished with a bit of heat at the end. Very nice. It was better than my previous attempts but I'm not entering any contests nor really giving it to friends or family.

[touaregsand]

I'll have to try and document the entire process.

The fermentation process can be fickle. You'll hear even old Korean ladies with decades of kimchi making experience wondering what went wrong with a particular batch.