Kimchi
I bought my first jar of kimchi last weekend and set it on the counter (unopened) and just now looked at the label which says to keep refrigerated. I bought it in the produce section, so I'm assuming I should have refrigerated it. Is it still okay to eat? I don't my first experience with kimchi to be bad.
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6 Comments:
warmer temps speed up fermentation, so your kimchi may be super ripe by now. some people prefer their kimchi ripe and I personally like ripe kimchi in cooked dishes like jjigae. It should be ok to eat but I'd cook it.
hmw0029 at 5:18PM on 11/01/09
How long has it been on the counter? If only a couple days, it is fine. Most people leave it out at room temp overnight to ferment after bringing a jar home from the store. As mentioned above, the kimchi will be on the more ripe side (more sour) and as a result will be perfect for jjigae or kimchi fried rice.
misterhee at 5:42PM on 11/01/09
I'd guess it's totally fine - it's not shipped refrigerated, so why would an unopened jar on the counter be any more dangerous than one in the shipping truck?
finewinendine at 7:19PM on 11/01/09
If it was processed (cooked) then you should probably cook it again. If it was fresh (and it should say so) then you should be fine.
This is a very interesting article about making kimchi with "regular" vegetables. This farm schedules days when people can come work cutting up the veggies, feeds them a great lunch, and sends them home with a bucket of fermenting veggies.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20091016/LIVING06/91015009/Cabbage-time-in-Vermont
lemonfair at 7:04AM on 11/02/09
Oops - I just see that you said it was unopened but refridgerated when you bought it, so I guess it's fresh. d'oh. I would perhaps open it now when you put it in the fridge, as it's been producing gases.
lemonfair at 7:06AM on 11/02/09
It'll be fine, it just turns more sour. We leave kimchi out all the time to let it sour up to be tastier! Although, if you leave it out too long, it's worse than a warhead.
machellebelle at 8:05AM on 11/02/09