Hacker News Reader

Comment by jmole | Hacker News Reader

why cant you just pop it in the fridge?

You can, and most people do put them in dedicated kimchi fridge that optimizes fermentation process (co2, bacteria, etc) and keeps it fresh longer once it's done fermenting.

I have no doubt that you can make superior kimchi in ongi, but only if you're an expert. Regular folks would get better and more consistent result sticking with 'ongi' powered by electricity ;-D

I thought the main reason why people use separate refridgerators for Kimchi is the smell.

And it definitely is. We manage to do tolerable kimchi, kimchi-flavoured everything was not so impressive.

Kimchi refrigerators tend to maintain a temperature just around or even slightly below freezing, which would be bad for regular fruits and vegetables. (Kimchi has a lower freezing point because of its salinity.) The temperature can be adjusted to produce the type of kimchi you like, optimized for fast fermentation or long-term storage, or even turned all the way down so you can use the whole machine as a giant freezer.

They're really versatile. The oversized compartments are perfect for storing a large amount of galbi, watermelons, beer, etc. especially since you can set different temperatures for each compartment. I don't know anyone who uses one exclusively for kimchi anymore.

Hah, my refrigerator is too cold in one area in the back and freezes vegetables if I leave them there too long. Might be perfect for kimchi!

The near freezing temperature should only be for preservation. Usually fermentation processes start around room temperature and then move progressively lower. Lactic acid bacteria thrives around 65F-72F, which is the supposed to be the ideal starting temperature range. After even a day or two at that temperature it has established itself and enough acidity to safely lower the temperature with minimal risk of other organisms outcompeting it. Below 41F lactic acid bacteria stop growing and are almost entirely inactive.

You're right, which is why kimchi refrigerators have a setting that keeps the temperature high for a few days (you can customize how high) and automatically switches to preservation mode afterward.

In the past, people made a huge amount of kimchi in the fall when cabbages are cheap, and expected it to last until the next year's first harvest of fresh vegetables. The near-freezing temperature ensures that the kimchi remains good for up to 6 months. Some kimchi can be aged for 3 years or more. So of course the preservation method is focused on stopping almost all microbial activity, including that of lactic acid bacteria. The goal is to maintain a sort of equilibrium for as long as possible. The onggi probably also helps with that.

Nowadays, many people in Korea buy pre-fermented kimchi instead of making their own. Several national brands and dozens of independent sellers with wildly different styles can all deliver kimchi to your door. In that case, you either set the fridge to preservation mode immediately, or keep it warm for another day or two if you prefer to ferment it a little more.

I went to my Korean friends place and thought there were ice cream in the fridge. I opened the fridge and boy did I regret it

It’s for both reasons. If you have a separate refrigerator you might as well optimize it for the stuff you’re trying to store. Think wine refrigerators in the West.

You can, but you'd better use a kimchi fridge.¹

¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi_refrigerator

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi_refrigerator

Reply on news.ycombinator.com