Appreciation post: A friend in Boise told me my kimchi brine was way too salty

I was making my usual batch with a full cup of salt per 5 pounds of cabbage, thinking it needed that much to ferment right. He tasted it and said it was like drinking the ocean, which made me cut the salt in half on my next try. Has anyone else had a taste test completely change their go-to recipe?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliviahenderson9d ago

Salt reduction by half seems like a solid starting point before people start mistaking your kimchi for a science experiment. Linda_wood, that soup story cracked me up because I bet your partner was secretly impressed you could season a whole winter in one pot. Better to learn from a friend's honest taste test than to keep making ocean water sauce for the rest of your life.

victor_carr251mo ago

Totally! I had the same thing happen with my sourdough starter. I was adding a whole tablespoon of salt to the dough, thinking it helped the crust. My brother said it tasted like a pretzel, not bread. Now I use half that and it's way better. Sometimes you just get used to your own heavy hand with ingredients.

linda_wood1mo ago

Drinking the ocean" is such a perfect way to put it. I once made a soup so salty my partner asked if I was trying to preserve it for the winter. I get stuck in my ways too, and it takes a brave friend to tell you your food tastes like the Dead Sea. Have you tried the less-salty batch yet?