My cousin told me to skip the airlock for my first batch of kimchi and it was a huge mistake.

Zara Kelly · 2026-03-12T05:15:05.136279+00:00

He said in Chicago, the old-school way was just to burp the jar daily. After three days, my whole fridge smelled like a science experiment gone wrong and the veggies were way too fizzy. Has anyone else had a family tip backfire that badly on a simple ferment?

the_gray7mo ago

A pantry kimchi explosion? Seriously?

8

patw857mo ago

My Korean grandma would kill me if I skipped the airlock. The burping method is fine, but you gotta keep the jar at cool room temp, not in the fridge, or it builds pressure way too fast. I learned that the hard way with a kimchi explosion in my pantry last year.

3

the_wesley7mo ago

Totally feel that, my aunt swore by the "loose lid" trick and I ended up cleaning cabbage off my kitchen ceiling.

2