PSA: I lost a full batch of kimchi to a bad jar seal

I made a big batch of kimchi last month, about 5 pounds of cabbage. I packed it into a big glass jar I had, one of those with a clamp lid and a rubber gasket. The gasket looked fine, but after a week on the counter, the whole thing smelled wrong. It wasn't the good sour smell, it was just off. I opened it and saw mold on the top. I had to throw it all out, which was about $15 in veggies and spices gone. On one side, maybe I just got a bad jar or didn't clean it well enough. On the other, I think those clamp lids can fail if you don't check the rubber part every time. Has anyone else had a ferment go bad because of a jar lid, not the recipe itself? What do you use to make sure your seal is good?

3 comments

3 Comments

colej7425d ago

Yeah, those gaskets are sneaky, like @mia_park said. I lost a batch of sauerkraut the same way, felt like a real idiot. I check the rubber seal every single time now, and I press down on the lid to feel for any give. A tiny leak can ruin everything.

river1904d ago

Totally feel your pain, that's a gut punch. @colej74 is right about checking the gasket, but I just use regular mason jars now. The two-piece lids are way more reliable for me.

mia_park25d ago

Ugh, that's the worst. Honestly, that sour smell after a week is totally normal for kimchi, that's the fermentation starting. The mold is the real problem. Those gaskets are sneaky.