How Long Does Kimchi Last After Opening?

With a chewy texture, fermented flavor, and distinctive tang, it's easy to see why so many people love kimchi. If you haven't tasted this tangy cabbage yet, you can find kimchi sold online, at your local Korean restaurant, or in the international aisle of a well-stocked grocery store. But what if you have leftovers? Between fermentation and refrigeration, kimchi should last years, right? Not exactly. With some rare exceptions like honey, no food lasts forever; even meat kept in the freezer goes bad eventually. 

Generally kimchi will last about one week after opening if left unrefrigerated and up to six months if stored in a sealed container in the fridge. However, if you commit to storing your kimchi at 39 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler — and you appreciate a strong fermented flavor — you might even be able to get away with storing kimchi in the fridge for up to one year. 

However, that length of time doesn't come without some major changes. Even with being safe to eat for months the kimchi will still continue to ferment, making the cabbage taste increasingly sour as time goes on. Texture-wise, the cabbage will lose some of its crunch, but the flavor will only strengthen. If you prefer a milder, crunchier kimchi, opt to finish your container within 1 to 2 months. As your kimchi evolves it might taste best in soups, while it should always make for a tasty pairing with rice and noodle dishes.

Time is also a factor when you're making kimchi yourself. If you're attempting to make kimchi for the first time, it can be confusing to understand the fermentation process. After putting effort into the dish — slicing cabbage, generously rubbing it with kosher salt (which differs from table salt), rinsing thoroughly, slicing through endless garlic, radishes and other vegetables, making your seasoning, and massaging the spice mixture into each cabbage crevice -– it's clear that making kimchi can be a labor of love, to say the least. Now that it's time to ferment, you don't want your efforts to go to waste.

Once you've dressed and massaged your cabbage, the easy part is here. Jar your kimchi then place those on a tray in case juices happen to overflow while fermenting. Give your kimchi 24 to 48 hours for a milder flavor, or up to a week to really get those tasty juices flowing, and a few weeks for a full-on funky flavor. You can experiment by opening an additional jar every couple days and sample in order to dial in your preferred fermentation length.