If you asked me 5 years ago, whether I make my own Gochujang, my response would have been something like – “No…..I don’t do that…that’s too much work.. oh, only our mothers did that.”
But here we are, in my 6th year of blogging; I have already attended two Gochujang making classes (in Korea last February) so that I could make it at home this year. During my recent stay in Korea, I got to taste some great homemade gochujang and deonjang and I realized store bought gochujang and homemade gochujang is just not the same. In addition, I have also discovered that not all gochujang sold at stores are the same.
KNOW what’s in your Gochujang!
Did you know that often a not-so-good gochujang has corn syrup, starch syrup and even hydrolyzed vegetable protein as part of their ingredients??? A respectable gochujang should only have chili pepper powder (gochukaru), fermented soy bean powder (mejukaru), sweet rice/rice/brown rice/barley/wheat flour, rice syrup, malt barley syrup or powder and salt. And even if it has corn syrup, at least don’t buy one that has corn syrup as it’s first ingredient. I mean..imagine.. how much corn syrup that is!! Sometimes some alcohol is added to stop the fermentation process but that’s it. So please select your gochujang carefully. In Korea, there are many great quality gochujang in the market but sadly almost none of them are sold in the US… or outside of Korea.
The only one I have found that is sold online that has a good list of ingredients is a bottled Gochujang by Chungjungone. (FYI, available HERE on my Amazon store).
You can make Gochujang only certain times of the year!
Gochujang is typically made in the colder winter months between the end of November to February in Korea. It is because the 4~6 month fermentation needs to occur in FULL SUN but BEFORE the very hot and rainy summer starts in Korea. For California, I thought February would be a great time since by then hopefully rain is getting lighter and there are more sunny days. So when I was getting ready to move back to the US in 2014, I bought and shipped Korean gochukaru (고추가루 red chili powder), mejukaru (메주가루 fermented soybean powder) and cheonilyeom (천일염 solar sea salt) via sea with our moving stuff so I could make it in CA. And most importantly, I also purchased a Korean hangari/onggi vessel where I could ferment the gochujang in. This particular vessel was made by one of the few remaining Korean artisans who is deemed by the government to be part of Korean’s national heritage.
I had hoped to make it last Spring but because our shipment got stuck at sea for 3 months – due to some labor strike at the LA ports – when we got everything it was already too warm.
BTW, My husband just shook his head when I told him I had shipped these things last year so I could make gochujang this year, he said “you are just a little crazy.. ;)” HAHA…AM I?? Maybe.. I mean, I guess I have to be a little crazy about Korean food and about blogging to be doing this for over 5 years!?! Right??? 🙂 😉
Invite a friend to your Gochujang making party!!
Whenever you are planning to cook something that takes many hours, I always say – Invite a friend! That way you have company during the wait times and you have another set of hands which is especially handy for a blogger who sometimes wishes she had 3 hands!! And in my particular case, I also had another brain with great wisdom and tips when I needed it!!
For my gochujang making day, I invited my friend Judith. Since the very beginning of my blog, Judith has been my #1 follower with always the most wonderful comments and questions. Over the years we started conversing through emails and when we found out that we both live in the SF Bay area, we had to meet. And we have become total foodie friends since then. BTW, I will write more on another post about our first meetings.
But going back to gochujang, I am so happy that she joined me for the day – I mean I never thought I would meet someone who was as excited as me about making the very uniquely aromatic but amazing gochujang at home.
Difference between fine and coarse gochugaru (Korean red chili powder):
I meant to write about this long ago but well, better late than never!
- Coarse Korean red chili powder (Gulkeun Gochugaru 굵은 고추가루) is what is used the most in Korean cooking these days and over 90% of Gochugaru sold at markets are probably coarse. Traditionally coarse red chili powder was used in making all kinds of Kimchi except for water Kimchi (mul kimchi 물김치). Coarse gochugaru gives you brighter red color, gives you a more clean flavor with even a bit of a zing. It is also used to make jjigae, guk and namul.
- Fine Korean red chili powder (Goun Gochugaru 고운 고추가루) is definitely needed in making gochujang and then for mul kimchi. Also used to make refined sauces and sometimes used for moosaengche when you don’t want to see the little chili flakes. Fine gochugaru produces less clean almost kind of a muddy taste and thus not usually used for fresh vegetables. But for stews and soups that is what you may want.
Traditional Korean chefs use a combination of both fine and coarse in jjigae and soups but if you are not a serious cook or if you are not making gochujang or mul kimchi, chances are you probably won’t need the fine gochukaru. Buy fine gochukaru ONLY if you are going to make gochujang or if you want to make pretty sauces.
** It is BEST to start the day before **
** You can buy all the ingredients below except for the Yeotkireum Garu from my store HERE. Look under Fermentation category. I even found a clay jar or onggi for fermentation.
BTW, you can still make gochujang without yeotkireum garu. See my new Easy Homemade Gochujang recipe for an almost instant way to make gochujang at home. ***
Traditional Homemade Gochujang Recipe
Makes: 4 quarts Prep Time: 6 hrs Cook Time: 6 hrs Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
See Recipe Card below for scalable ingredients —
Will also need
- 1 Korean gochujang hangari (항아리)/onggi (옹기) = glazed clay vessel or pot that can hold liquid but is porous for it to breathe
- 2 large bowls (5 quart or bigger)
- fine sieve or medium grade (#50) cheese cloth
- 1 large pot (5 quart or larger)
- 1 fine mosquito net or fine mesh fabric to cover top of gochujang pot
- 1 string to tie mesh fabric
- coals, sesame seeds, metal bowl (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions on How to make Gochujang at home
- 1-2 DAYS BEFORE: Sterilize your ghochujang hangari or onggi (Korean glazed clay vessels aka earthenware for fermentation) by pouring hot boiling water inside and out and drying them. OR you can use coals that have turned into white embers by putting them in a metal bowl and turning over the hangari on top so that the hangari gets filled with HOT smoke which will also sterilize the pot. I used both methods just to be sure. Here is a picture of how it was done:
Tools needed for sterilizing korean hangari or onggi (glazed clay vessel) for making gochujang: tongs, metal bowl, coals and sesame seeds(optional) for extra smoky flavor! 
Hot coals with sesame seeds for sterilizing gochujang hangari 
Gochujang hangari upside down with hot coals inside The hangari will smell very smoky at first, but it will go away as you air it for a day or two. It is also the intention to have a little bit of sesame seed smoky flavor. If you don’t want this, just use hot water.
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Soak malt barley (all 750 g of it!) in 5 litre of cold water for 5 hrs or more.
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Soak sweet rice in water for 3-4 hrs or more.
- ON THE DAY OF: Strain soaked sweet rice through a colander and remove all excess water. Let water drain for 5 min. Grind sweet rice with a blender or chopper as fine as you can make it. Set aside. Alternatively I think you can buy ready made sweet rice powder and use that instead.
- Massage malt barley with your hands, by getting a handful and squeezing them in the water. Repeat many times throughout the malt mixture.
- Strain malt barley through a fine sieve or medium grade cheesecloth to just get the liquid and some fine white sediments. We just don’t want any little bits of husks. I used my Williams-Sonoma towel and it was perfect! *** Dampen cloth/towel by wetting it with water and wringing out before to speed up straining.
Malt barley (yeotkireum) in cheesecloth
Judith straining malt barley through cheesecloth – so nice to have another set of hands so I can take a picture of it!! Malt Barley liquid strained using cheesecloth - Add sweet rice powder to strained liquid from 7.
- Leave mixture in the oven with a temperature of about 60°C (140°F) for 5 hrs. Stir a couple times during the 5 hrs if you can. I ended up not being able to since Judith and I went out to lunch and it turned out fine… 🙂
Malt Barley (YeotKireum) liquid in warm temp changes starch into sugar and is cloudy when stirred - Remove malt barley + sweet rice mixture from oven and cook on stove top. About medium high -> medium heat until liquid has reduced by about 20%. Stir often to prevent any burning and lumps. Let it cool.
Malt barley liquid with sweet rice powder – fermented and reduced for gochujang base - Once liquid is cooled, add fine gochugaru, mejugaru and sea salt.
Fine Gochugaru and Mejukaru for gochujang It made me happy just looking at them, smelling the beautiful and familiar smells – the spicy gochukaru tickling my nose and then the very endearingly stinky deonjang smell from the mejukaru taking me back to my childhood..to the days when moms made everything at home.
Korean gochujang in the making – gochukaru, mejukaru and sea salt added to fermented malt barley liquid - Finally add rice syrup (jocheong 조청) – add more or less to your taste.
- Mix everything well, you won’t need to go the gym today (at least for your arms anyway). Wow.. My arms are kind of sore from mixing!! Make sure everything is all mixed thoroughly. It is OK if you see little granules of sea salt because they will dissolve eventually. Your gochujang mixture should look something like this –
Freshly made gochujang ready for 6 month fermentation – close up - Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the bowl overnight. Taste it next day and it should taste pretty good already. Add more syrup or salt to your taste. Mix everything well one last time.
- Transfer gochujang into the prepared, sanitized clay pot (hangari 항아리). Wipe the top and side edges clean. Sprinkle top with sea salt to help keep any bad bacteria from growing on the surface.
Home made gochujang ready for 6 month fermentation in full sun!! - Leave in full sun for 6 months. The sun helps to kill any fungus from forming on top. Cover the top with a fine mosquito net or mesh that will keep the bugs away but let the sun in. Tie the net with a string so it stays put. For me, I was lucky enough to buy a glass lid for my onngi/hangari (clay jar) in Korea that lets the sun in, keeps the rain out and allows air to circulate through meshed sides. A great invention!
Gochujang in clay pot (onggi) with glass top And I hope to share with you how my gochujang turns out under the California sun in the next 6 months.
Gochujang is all made and ready for 6 month fermentation! The salt crystals are like little diamonds~~ love love love..♥♥♥
Well, I know this is probably not something you can make easily and you need various special ingredients and vessels but I thought I would share it with you so that at least you get to experience and know what is involved in making the amazing gochujang the traditional and authentic way.
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- You can also buy Korean Traditional Earthenware for fermentation on Amazon.com. The size is not very big so you may need more than one but it should work. I have selected a few below.
- If you REALLY want to buy the Korean Hangari/Onggi in the US, try visiting a larger Korean grocery market or I do have one online HERE in my Amazon shop.
Have a great weekend and Happy Valentine’s!!
Here’s my new Video on how to make Gochujang at home!
JinJoo
How to make Gochujang at home
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Fine Red Chili powder (Goun Gochukaru 고운 고추가루) (1.5kg = 3.3 lb)
- 500 g Fermented Soy Bean powder (Meju Karu 메주가루) (500g = 1.1 lb)
- 1 kg Sweet Rice powder (Chapsal Karu 찹쌀가루) (1 kg = 2.2 lb)
- 750 g Milled Malt Barley (Yeotkireum Karu 엿기름가루) (750g = 1.65 lb)
- 750 g Sea Salt with bittern removed (Cheonilyeom 천일염) (750g = 1.65 lb)
- 1 kg Rice Syrup (Jocheong 조청) (1 kg = 2.2 lb)
- 5 L water (5 litre = 5.2 quart)
Instructions
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Soak malt barley (all 750 g of it!) in 5 litre of cold water for 5 hrs or more.
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Soak sweet rice in water for 3-4 hrs or more.
- NEXT MORNING: Strain soaked sweet rice through a colander and remove all excess water.
- Grind sweet rice with a blender or chopper as fine as you can make it. Set aside.
- Strain malt barley through a fine sieve or medium grade cheese cloth to just get the liquid and some fine white sediments.
- Add sweet rice powder to strained liquid from above.
- Leave mixture in the oven with a temperature of about 60°C (140°F) for 5 hrs.
- Remove malt barley + sweet rice mixture from oven and cook on stove top.
- Start at medium high -> medium heat until liquid has reduced by about 20%. Let it cool.
- Once liquid is cooled, add fine gochukaru, meju karu and sea salt.
- Add rice syrup (jocheong 조청) - add more or less to your taste.
- Mix everything well.
- Transfer gochujang into the prepared, sanitized clay pot (hangari 항아리).
- Sprinkle top with handful of sea salt.
- Leave in full sun for 6 months.
Tips & Notes:
Please check out my blog post for more details on how to sterilize the pot 1-2 days before.
Malt barley can be replaced with?
Sorry, there’s no good substitution for Malt Barley. But if you want to make it without it, you can try this recipe – https://kimchimari.com/homemade-gochujang-recipe-easy-quick/
Hello! I was looking for a Korean Hangari/Onggi online and found a site called eKitchenary that has them for a better price than Amazon. Do you know anything about them? I have one of my own that I use for Kimchi, but just starting to learn to make Gochujang so wanted to get at least one for that 🙂 My mother, who is Korean, has been making it from scratch, but she is getting older so I want to learn to carry it on 🙂 I’m looking forward to trying it!
Sorry, I don’t know much about them. Good for you for trying to make Gochujang on your own – hope it turns out well for you!
Hi Jin Joo, is possible to make gochujang in the tropical country? Currently i live in Singapore. If so is there any additional steps in doing it? Would love to hear your thought about this. Thank You.
I think it’s possible – just make sure it gets good exposure to sun. and make sure you cover it when it rains. Good luck!
Thank you for your comment !😊🙏
I love the flavor! Mine is very thick and starting to crack on top. It has fermented for 3 months. I have stirred it every 4 weeks. We live in Texas and the summer is upon us and I don’t want it to ruin. Any recommendations? Should I bring it in out of the heat (we are over 85 degrees now)? Is soju the best way to thin it?
If it’s getting too dry, you can bring it inside and refrigerate. Yes soju is the best way to thin it. You can also add some maesil syrup to thin it. Good luck!
First time I found out of your blog and I love it! This reciepe is surely very helpful and I will try it out as soon as I get a pot.
However I have a question. Do we have to expose it to the sunlight? And for how long?
I am glad you like my blog! Thank you. As I say in the instructions, it’s best to leave it in full sun for 6 months. Thanks for asking!!
Hi, I’ve been fermenting my gochujang for 6 months. I’ve noticed around the areas under the lip of the clay pot there’s brownish wet stuff . Its a very light brown and only on the surface. Is this bacteria growth? Gochujang doesn’t smell. Thanks!
Some brownish liquid may accumulate here and there, that’s natural. Just mix it all well. As long as you don’t see a slime on the surface or mold growing, it should be fine. And it should be ready at 6 months.. and it should smell..if you are worried, follow me on IG and send me a message with a picture. Maybe I can look at it and let you know.
Hello. I’m so excited to try this. I just bought organic dry soy beans. Is this different from the fermented soy beans? Can o soak this and dry and grind into powder? Please advise. Thank you
Hi! The recipe seems amazing and plan to do it very soon. I only have 2 questions. It seems that we have to stir the gochujang while it is fermenting. Do we have wipe the sides to clean them and sprinkle more salt on top? An how of ten should we stir while it’s fermenting? Should i do it everyday when it’s under the sun or every few days?
Thanks a lot for your time!
Yes, it is good to stir every now and then – definitely not every day, maybe every few weeks. Even once a month should be ok. You should wipe the sides and clean it as much as possible. You can sprinkle more salt on top but if you follow my recipe it shouldn’t be necessary as it is quite salty. But if you are going to reduce the salt amount, you should salt the top after every stir. Good luck!
Is it okay to use the malted barley used for beer? I’d have to mill it myself though. Hopefully it should be fine
I think it could work. But the one for beef are not fully crushed/milled? You do need the grain to be crushed into powder along with the germinated sprouts. So if it comes whole, you will need to make it more into a powder form. Good luck!
I’m going to make it next year because I can’t get hold of the fermented soybean powder (mejugaru) so i’m making my meju this year, half for doenjang and the other half I’ll crush into a powder for next year’s gochujang, unless, Do you know of any korean based supermarkets that ship overseas (I live in Japan)? Preferably organic ones?
Try global gmarket – I don’t see organic ones but you can buy Korean made like this one http://mg.gmarket.co.kr/Item?goodscode=1752712615&charset=enUS
Hi there thank you so much for this great recipe! Is this Chili paste usually what the Ramen restaurants use to make the Ramen spicy?
Hi – well it’s hard to say since I don’t know what each restaurant does but gochujang definitely may be used in some.
Hi Jin Joo. Thank you so much for your very fast comments. It’s really really appreciated. I have all my gochujang ingredients now and ready to soak overnight. But the barley malt I got is a fine flour. Do i still need to strain it after soaking it
You are welcome! If it’s a fine flour it’s probably ok not to strain it. Good luck!
My gochujang was ready on 1/20. Thank you for your recipe. A few days later a pool of liquid has collected on the surface where I sprinkled the salt. The salt has melted. Will this go away eventually? I don’t know how I’m going to wait 3 months im so excited to eat it now haha
Good for you! The liquid will evaporate but you can also stir/mix to distribute evenly. Good things come to those who wait!! It may be ready before 3 months if your sun is strong.. just taste it after couple months. Good luck!
What are your thoughts on adding soju to the gochujang? Does it affect taste or fermentation in any way?
Soju is said to act as a preservative to work against the gochujang going bad. If you use my recipe you don’t need soju but I know some recipes will tell you to use it – probably they may use less salt which in turn increases the chance of mold developing. Should not affect taste too much but it will probably slow down or affect the fermentation. Fyi Soju can be used to revive old dried up gochujang.
Hi, I made a recipe and ended up with extra. I placed the extra in Mason jars. I was wondering if gochujang can properly ferment in glass jars with a mesh covering? Thank you!
Yes that should be ok. Not ideal but..Stir occasionally to expose different portion to air. Good luck!
Can you use honey instead of rice syrup? Or coconut palm sugar syrup?
Also what is the total amount of gochujang you ended up with according to your recipe? And the volume of your hangari please
That’s a great question – the total amount should be around 1 gallon and my hangari size is a bit over 2 gallon. Good luck!
You can use honey instead but it could possibly make it a little too thick. If you find that it’s too thick (watch my video to see consistency) then I’d recommend not reducing the malt syrup liquid as much or adding some soju.
Hello! I watch the questions and answers here avidly. For someone needing to keep their mix indoors for part of the year, if they had access to a uv light then they wouldn’t necessarily need sun to inhibit bad growth on top. There are uv lights available for sterilizing, just depends on if you already have one or can find the right unit to match your wallet
That’s an awesome suggestion Charles. Yes a UV light would work to prevent molds. There’s a little missing piece of the sun drying up the gochujang to condense the flavor but it would probably be OK still. Thank you so much for the idea. Really appreciate it.
Hi JinJoo,
I grew up in Chicago and my best friend was Korean, so I have always loved Korean food and am striving to cook more Korean food (I just finished eating a bowl of Kimchee soup with homemade rice cake). Thank you for your site! I live in Napa, CA now, so I guess we are almost neighbors! My question is about the amount of sunlight needed for the gochjang. I live in an apartment complex with lots of trees and I only get a few hours of direct sunlight per day. Do you think that would be sufficient? Or maybe I should try the quicker version? Thanks!
Welcome to California!! And good for you for trying to cook more Korean food. Few hours of direct sunglight should be good enough. And since it’s so dry in CA, the probability of it going bad is low. I would recommend making it once most of the rain is gone – February and on. Good luck!
Thanks! One more question- I have hulled barley, and I also have malted barley powder. Do you think I could use one or both of these in combination instead of using whole malted barley? If not, I will get some. Thanks!
You can use malted barley powder and a combination of it would work much better than just the powder alone. Good luck!
Hi, JinJoo! Thanks so much for posting this recipe! I have wanted to make my own gochujang for a while now, but it is surprisingly difficult to find detailed instructions online. I finally made this a couple of days ago and transferred it to fermenting containers this morning. I scaled your recipe up and ended up with a hangari and two glass jars. I also have a glass lid for my hangari, and I was wondering if you leave the glass lid on all the time, or if you replace it with the clay lid when it’s not sunny. I remember my mother only kept her hangari exposed when it was sunny, but she didn’t have a glass lid. I am concerned that too much moisture will evaporate if the gochujang is left vented all of the time. What do you recommend? Also, do you think I should leave them outside, or bring them inside at night or when it is too cold?
Hi Susan! So I am not sure the moisture level where you are but it should be ok to leave the glass lid on all the time. But if you want you are welcome to close the clay lid at night or every now and then. But it should be regularly exposed to sunlight to prevent molds.
In the old days the clay lid was closed to make sure no rain or morning dew gets in. But with the glass lid it will keep rain out. What are the temperatures like where you are? Unless it’s freezing temps, best to leave it out. Hope that helps.
Hello JinJoo,
I am happy to find your blog, and it’s great so far. Thank you!
I am interested in making this recipe, but I live in Canada, and it’s very cold here. Also in my flat I have no balcony. I am so wanting to make this recipe, but I feel I am not able to due to me not having a balcony/veranda. Is there any way that I am able to make this living in an apartment? If so, how long would the fermentation be?
Thank you !
I’m so glad you found my blog and thankful to hear that you like it so far. You can keep it indoors but note that it will smell quite strongly. Perhaps you can let it ferment indoors for a week or so and then keep it in the fridge after that? The UV rays of the sunlight helps to keep the fungus away so without it, you do take a risk of developing some fungus over time so I think you can keep in the fridge but it will take much longer to ferment that way – prob. like 6 months. Be sure to sprinkle the top with salt. Good luck!
Hello JinJoo! I am new here and so excited I found you! I am actually making my first batch of Kimchi this Saturday!
However, my question is in regards to this beautiful Gochujang recipe. Here is some background: I live in Maine and we are about to enter the season where our temps drop fast. If you are a gardener, I live in zone 5. By the time November comes, we already have frozen ground and about 7 hours of daylight. If I were to do this outside, I would be moving this every hour to keep this in the sun and by December, in the snow.
I own a fermenting system. Dark jars with weights, lids and “air extractor”. Would it be possible for me to use that? Would I be able to achieve results by leaving it in my house in the full sun area (indoor garden), and then move it outside once the ground thaws? This will be about 8 months from now.
Any thoughts you have is greatly appreciated! Your site has changed our household. My husband dated a Korean woman all through college (20 years ago in NJ), and desperately misses her mother’s food. Something we cannot get here in Maine. Good thing I can cook!
Hi Katrina! I’m so glad you found me!! So the UV ray from the sun keeps the mold from forming and then being outside, some moisture will evaporate from gochujang. And of course, you need a good warm temperature for the bacteria to grow. So having it outside in freezing weather doesn’t sound like it will work. But having it indoors in your indoor garden area should work fine. It will smell though.. 😉 Koreans who live in apts have no choice but to have them in their veranda (closed, indoors) and it works fine. All the best to you and your husband is lucky to have such a great cook as a wife!!
This recipe is what I’ve been looking for! I can’t wait to make it! Except…
The reason I want to make my own gochujang is because many in the stores contain corn syrup and wheat ingredients. My boyfriend is allergic to corn and has a gluten intolerance, but I want to introduce him to the delicious Korean food which I love so much.
The ONLY problem with your recipe is the use of milled malt barley. Since he has a gluten issue, he wouldn’t be able to safely consume anything with barley in it… 😔
Is there a replacement for this ingredient, or should I give up on any Korean recipe that includes gochujang? I appreciate your help!
So glad you are aware of the issues of corn syrup in store-bought gochujang! Kudos to you for wanting to make your own at home. You will be amazed at how different it tastes (of course better). Unfortunately, there’s no substitute for malt barley but you can try my other recipe which is sort of a quick version but doesn’t use malt barley – https://kimchimari.com/homemade-gochujang-recipe-easy-quick/. BTW, if your boyfriend has a gluten intolerance, malted barley gochujang could be OK since it’s not a huge amount but I understand if you want to be careful about it. Good luck!
We made this, and just recently had a big mistake. My dad had the lid off to let the full sun in and it rained. Do you by chance know how to remedy this??? Not sure what to do with the rain water in it! *sigh*… 🙁 🙁
Oh dear!! So pour off as much rain water off as possible then you probably want to skim the top off and discard it. Sprinkle a bit of salt back on it and let it dry out as much as you can and hope for the best!! You could get mold sometimes so watch it daily and spoon out moldy parts. Good luck! And if you are close to the end of fermentation then I would suggest just putting it in the fridge early after getting rid of the rain water and top layer.
Awesome, thank you!!
I am glad to have found your blog. I love all things fermented! I love all things Korean! I have a question that is similar to the last question. I live on the Central California Coast. I know you are in Cali too. Our weather here is pretty mild throughout the summer. Last year, even with the the horrible draught, we were only in the high 90’s low 100’s for less than 5ish sporadic days.Could I leave my gochujang outside this time of year? I have an onggi. I’m impatient to get it started. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
HI Elizabeth! Hello fellow Californian!! Yes, you can leave the gochujang out in the summer, the only thing I would say is to check it every couple weeks to make sure it doesn’t dry up too much. One year, I saw the gochujang cracking on top because it became too dry in California summer weather! So when that happens, bring it inside and mix it with some soju to thin it out and then I would store it in the fridge after that. Hope that makes sense! Good luck and thank you so much for your comment!
hiii i want to make this recipe but i have a question….
im from spain and when you say 6 six months fermenting outside with direct sun…. what kind of weather is suitable for fermentation in this case?, here its very hot in summer and very cold in winter….and im not sure if extreme temperatures spoil the product
i learned to prepare kimchi, but as far as im concerned, kimchi needs darkness and not so much heat…. so i also have doubts about why kimchi needs darkness and freshness and gochujang needs sun and heat? if they both ferment…..
thanks in advance!!
Sure, depending on how hot your weather is, you will not need to leave it out the full 6 months. In your weather 2-3 months may be good enough. Also, it’s better to then start it in early spring as I suggest I made it in February in California. If it’s too hot and too dry, your gochujang may become too dry too quickly which you want to avoid. The direct sun deters any unwanted mold growing in your gochujang so that’s why direct sun is important. Kimchi and Gochujang are completely different ingredients being fermented. Just like pickles and yogurt are different. If you want, you CAN keep your gochujang in the fridge (dark and cold) and fermentation will happen just very slowly. But you leave your gochujang in just cool temp and in darkness, you will def. get mold.
Hello, I was wondering can I make my own meju karu by first making meju blocks and powdering it? Or is it something else?
Thank you~~
Yes you can make your own but is kind of a long process. Can’t tell you all here but takes about 3-4 months total. You need to cook the soy beans, make blocks, dry it then ferment it for a month in rice straw then dry it all winter..
Is there a substitute for the barely? I have celiac disease, and therefore am unable to eat barely. I know that truly traditional gochujang did not use barely (I learned this from my fiance who is from Seoul). What would you replace the barely with? Thank you so much! He and I are going to start making our own gochujang soon!
Hi Emily, I guess you are referring to the malted barley when you say ‘barley’?? Please note ‘malted barley = yeotkireum 엿기름’ is NOT the same as regular barley. I am not saying ‘malted barley’ does not have gluten, I’m sure it does in small amounts. So I do understand your concern for it with your celiac. But I am not sure what your fiance means by truly traditional gochujang not having barley? My recipe is as TRADITIONAL and CLASSIC as it can get (I’m honestly puzzled and even almost offended 😉that he doesn’t think my recipe is traditional??) and if you ask any Korean grandmas who made gochujang, they will say it always needs ‘malted barley’ to make it whatever the variation. Perhaps he misunderstood you and thought ‘malted barley’ as being the same thing as regular barley. In that case, yes, there is a gochujang variation called Bori Gochujang which (is not a classic) that uses regular barley instead or in addition to sweet rice or rice.
BTW, Just to be sure, I did look up all my references and all 6-7 variations all use malted barley so I am afraid there’s really no alternative if you want to make the fully traditional way. I do, however, have an Instant Gochujang recipe that does NOT use malted barley https://kimchimari.com/homemade-gochujang-recipe-easy-quick/ – but it’s a modified, non-traditional method with less flavor. You may want to try that if you’d like. Thank you.
Is it just me? Have you made clear what you keep relative to rice water barley water etc? throw away and what you keep ? Some of us are slower than others !
Help!
Hi JinJoo, Thank you for the great recipe, I can’t wait to try it. Besides the fun of it, I am also interested in trying to make a healthier version than I can get at the store. I would like to try to make a version with organic ingredients but I am having trouble finding organic Meju Karu. Do you know of any sources for that? Thanks again, John
Hi John! Unfortunately I have not found any sources for organic Meju Karu.. even in Korea. That would be lovely, wouldn’t it?? But please know that just by making gochujang at home you are making a WAY healthier version than the one you buy. My version contains NO corn syrup and the it contains live cultures with the fermentation on-going vs the store bought one has no live cultures. If I find any, I will remember to let you know. Good luck!