# How long does kimchee stay good in the fridge



## mom2e (May 13, 2006)

...once it's been opened?

Thanks!


----------



## KathinJapan (Mar 25, 2003)

I think it depends on the type, or how it is preserved. We have had some for ages and it was fine, others went bad in a few weeks. You could tell it went bad as it had spots of mold on it, sort of white pinky, also the smell.
Kathryn


----------



## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

Depends on how spicy it is!!







I was joking with my husband that the hot pepper sauce I made last summer would problem win the McDonald's french fry test (where they leave french fries in a jar until they mold...which they never seem to do, ever). But I think if it's really spicy with enough vinegar, kimchee will last a long time. If it's fresh homemade and not 5-alarm spicy, probably just a week or two.

- Krista


----------



## saratc (May 13, 2006)

If it hasn't been pasteurized, it should stay good almost indefinitely since it's a fermented product. Well, I guess not indefinitely, but I've had some that didn't mold or go bad for almost a year. It just gets more pungent and fermented tasting.

Also, this may sound gross, but even when it molds, as long as it smells okay, you can skim off the mold and use as is or if you are worried about that kind of stuff, you can cook with it. The gone bad smell and the fermented smell are pretty distinctive so you'll know when it smells different. Sometimes fermented stuff will form "bloom", or a thin layer of mold on top and it's pretty normal.


----------



## HeatherKae (Jun 4, 2006)

If you keep it at the proper temperature (nice and cold), it should stay indefinitely. If mold does form on the top, you can toss those pieces and it would still be good. The longer it ferments, the more pungent it becomes, the better it is for cooking with. Kimchi chigae, kimchi bokum bop, things like that taste really good with super tangy kimchi. I did just toss some kakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) that had been in my kimchi fridge (yes, we have a separate fridge manufactured specifically for kimchi) for about 6 mos because it just didn't taste right. It probably was fine. But I didn't care for the taste.

Here people make enormous batches of kimchi in the fall that last them all the way through the winter and most of spring. Many still keep them in clay pots on their roof tops or if they live in the country, out in their yards. I love kimchi.


----------

