My cousin's kimchi comment made me stop using store-bought starter

We were at a family cookout in Boise and I mentioned my kimchi always tasted a bit flat. He asked if I used a packet, and when I said yes, he told me to just save a spoonful of my last batch instead. He said, 'Your own bugs know your kitchen.' I tried it with my next cabbage and the flavor was way deeper after just four days. Has anyone else switched to a continuous starter like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade7672mo ago

Is it really that big of a deal though? People have been saving sourdough starters and yogurt cultures for ages without dying. A fresh packet is fine but it's not like your kitchen is a biohazard lab, the whole point is the good bugs win out. Feels like we overthink this stuff sometimes.

grantthomas2mo ago

That idea about "your own bugs know your kitchen" makes me nervous. I worry about bad bacteria building up over time if you keep reusing the same starter. A fresh packet each time feels safer and more reliable to me. I'd rather have a consistent, controlled ferment than risk a batch going wrong.

karenw231mo ago

@grantthomas I get being nervous about bad bacteria, but honestly your kitchen is already FULL of microbes. That's just life. A healthy starter is acidic enough to fight off the bad stuff on its own. People have been doing this for THOUSANDS of years with no issues. Fresh packets are fine if you want them but don't act like reusing is somehow dangerous.