Korean Gochujang in glazed clay vessel (hangari/onggi) – After 2 days –
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.
Korean Glazed Onggi or Hangari pot for fermentation of gochujang
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.
Easy Homemade Gochujang Recipe
** 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.
- 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, I found a fabulous artist Adam Field who was actually making Onggi in the US. How incredible is that?!! He learned how to make them from Onggi masters in Korea through a 10 month apprenticeship at Incheon! THANK YOU Adam for bringing it to the US!
Have a great weekend and Happy Valentine’s!!
JinJoo
- 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 litre water (5 litre = 5.2 quart)
- 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.
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. Cover with a lid when it rains and at night time to keep moisture out.
Please check out my blog post for more details on how to sterilize the pot 1-2 days before.
Thank you for sharing these kind of traditional recipes in English. I’m a second generation Korean, who is very interested in authentic Korean cooking, and sadly, I don’t read Korean. I find your blog a great resource for cooking, understanding the roots and basics of Korean food. Thanks again:) I so enjoy reading your posts!!
Yay!! Sooo awesome to hear that! I mean, that just makes me happy.. :)) With my daughter also being second generation, I am afraid that the beautiful traditions of Korean food will be lost unless we pass it on – even if it’s just in a written form somewhere out in the world wide web…Thank you so much for your comment. Hearing from people like yourself really keeps me going. And please ask questions about anything, I love answering them and if I don’t know, I can research and come back to you. Have a great weekend!
I am not Korean, however I love your culture. I would love to make real Gochujang at home. Do you have a 1quart recipe. I would like to start small, also is there any other type of container I can use?
So happy to hear that you love Korean culture!! If you can make your own gochujang at home, it’s the best. No corn syrup but so flavorful. I don’t have a separate 1 quart recipe but you can certainly try reducing the recipe on my blog to make it for 1 quart – divide by 4. 🙂 Personally, I don’t have any direct experience but I’ve seen people make gochujang in glass jars WITH THE TOP OPEN. You can try that but use a jar with the largest opening because you want as much air as possible to interact with the gochujang. Also, you may want to stir the whole thing every week or so to ensure even exposure. Or if you can find any other earthenware vessel that may work well also. Note, you will probably not need as long a time for fermentation since your amount is so small. Good luck!
I understand that you are suppose to leave it in the sun for 6 months but each day when the sun goes do you store the gochujang in the fridge until the sun comes up and then leave it out in the sun again and repeat this process until the 6 months is over or do you leave it out all day and night for 6 months? I hope you understand what I am trying to say.
Hi Abby, sure I know what you are asking. No, you don’t have to store the gochujang in the fridge at night time. You just leave it outside day and night for 6 months. You should leave it so it can breath when it’s sunny and cover it when it rains so the rain doesn’t get in. If you get a lot of morning dew, you may also want to cover it overnight and open in the morning to get the air in. Hope that helps. Good luck and thank you for asking!
What a fabulous service you’ve done writing all this up!
Why thank you so much!! It was a bit of work.. 😉
So do you leave the gochujang paste outside all day and night for 6 months? Please let me know cause I am confused about that part?
Yes you leave it outside all day and night for 6 months. Note you may want to bring it into fridge sooner than 6 months if it becomes too dry (if it’s really dry where you live). But normally you leave it outside the whole time.
Yes, thanks so much for documenting the process on your blog. It really is inspiring and invaluable for me too. One day I will be ready to make gochujang!
Thanks for sharing! Would I be able to do this in northern Minnesota? Is there a source online I would be able to use to get all of the ingredients?
HI Gina! So I have found the fine chili powder, meju powder, sweet rice flour, sea salt and rice syrup and they are up on my kimchimari amazon store so you can buy it from there. Just go to SHOP menu on top of my blog. The only missing ingredient is malt barley powder (yeotgireum garu) that I have not found anywhere online. But you can make gochujang without it actually. The role of the malt barley powder is to transform the starch in sweet rice flour into sugar to make the gochujang sweet. There is a version where you just make a solution of sweet rice flour, cook it (soupy) and then use that. And you may want to increase the amount of syrup to make it sweeter. I will see if I can come up with a recipe without the malt barley powder and post it soon. Weather wise, I think northern Minnesota should be fine. Just start after the last freeze and then make sure it gets lots of sun and air during spring/summer and cover it up when it rains. HOpe this helps!
You can get malt from home brewing stores. It is called DME or Dry Malt Extract, and is the dehydrated form of what you are adding.
Thank you for the great info!! Best wishes,
Hi JinJoo,
first of all thanks for your great blog!
DME will NOT work, because it is cooked, so all the enzymes of the malted bareley are broke and not able to work on the starch in the water-rice(powder)-pulp any more – and that is the original purpose for the use of (malted) barley, if I understand it right.
But as said below, malted barley (perhaps readily milled) from the same source is the stuff to go for.
Best whishes!
Tim
HI Tim,
OH, I didn’t know that!! Yes, if it’s cooked, and the enzymes are not going to work on breaking the starch, it’s not going to work. Thank you SO MUCH for the info! Best,
I found this at Amazon: ROM AMERICA [ 2lb ] Malted Barley Flour Malt Powder Diastatic 엿기름 가루
Ooh yeah that should work! Good luck Lisa!! Thank you for the info – I’m sure it would be useful for others.
Hello,
I was just curious if you would know where to buy a glass lid like the one you have. Possibly online? Thank you!
Hmm…I am not sure. I tried to find it but so far I have not found any in the US. Maybe I should import it and sell it?!! lol Will let you know if I come across anything.
Hi Jinjoo, I’m planning to go to Korea soon, and would love to buy that glass top, would you know where I could buy in Seoul?
You should be able to find it in most large grocery stores. I know that Hanaro Mart in Yangje (양재동 하나로 마트) will definitely have it. You can also try big E-Mart stores too. Good luck and hope you have a great time in Korea!
Hello,
You could order one from gmarket. Some sellers do international shipping. I just received mine and it was double packed in bubble wrap. It may be a bit pricier because of the shipping fee, but if you really want to get one market has good offers. 😊
Oh, that’s good to hear! I looked around a bit on Gmarket (Korean online store) but I didn’t see any international shipping options. Thanks for sharing the info~
You can buy milled malted barley from beer homebrew stores in-person and online. Do you think that would work? The step where you put the malted barley juice in the oven at 140F is exactly like what beer brewers do! That temperature activates enzymes in the malted barley that converts the starches into simple sugars, which can then be used by yeasts to ferment.
http://craftbeeracademy.com/malted-barley-and-beer/
I would guess that the “standard” brewing malted barley “2-row” would be a good choice. You can buy different quantities on here and ask that they mill it first 🙂
https://www.morebeer.com/products/briess-brewers-2row-malt.html
Yes!! OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH for the info! It sounds like that would work! I was actually looking at lot of the malted barley sold online for beer but since I have not personally used it myself, I could not write about it with any level of confidence. But after reading your comment and also the online resource, I think it is going to work. And funny thing, while looking through many, many malted barley versions, I too thought the “2-row” version looked the best to me – so funny… I am going to have to try making some sikhye with this to see how it works. Since I can’t make another batch of gochujang… :))
Yay!! Let us know how it turns out!!! I’m excited to try to make gochujang!
Great recipe! I have always wanted to try some traditional gochujang and I think I will try your version at the weekend! 🙂 Is it possible to fill mandu completely with gochujang, or would that be a bit weird? 😉
Hmm..gochujang mandu?! Not really sure, haha maybe the texture would be a little off..But you could def make some gochujang dipping sauce! Thank you!
Hallo, I have just made a batch of gochujang – left out the rice syrup as I don’t like it too sweet – and just need some guidance with the next part of the process. It will soon be winter in Australia and the sunny days will be limited, so will fermentation still take place if I keep the jar warm and put it outside whenever there is sun? My Korean grocer tells me to wrap the jar in towels. What are your thoughts?
Great to hear that you made gochujang!! You did add yeotgireum right? Sure it will happen slowly but it should still ferment. Sun helps to keep any mold from developing so more sun is good. Sure I think your method should work as long as you keep it at warm room temperature.
Hi there, just to let you know it turned out great and I made a second one after that. There was actually quite a lot of sun so I put it on the window ledge where it got nice and warm, and at night kept it next to the heater. Have used it in bibimbap sauce, ssamjang and made a peanut/gochujang sauce. Very successful. Thank you for posting the recipe!
You can find malted barley through home brewing suppliers! I’ve found it online by searching for malted barley (you can malt it at home but it is a process!) You can order the malted barley crushed, or mill it at home, too!
OH, great!! Thanks so much for letting me know and leaving a comment here. I will remember that next time someone asks me. Take care!
Hi! I was wondering about substitutes for the malt barley? I have Celiac disease and cannot eat gluten. Also is 메주가루 gluten free? I am having a hard time finding the information online. Thank you so much for the information!!! Your recipe seems to be the most authentic I have found online! Can’t wait to try to make it gluten-free!!!
Hi! So the only way to not use Malt Barley in making Gochujang is to use Korean Rice Syrup (Jocheong 조청). So instead of reducing the brewed malt barley mixture, you will add Jocheong instead. It will probably come out a little sweeter. 메주가루 made the traditional way is totally gluten free but if you buy it from a store, it may contain some wheat flour so beware of that. You are the second person who has asked me about gluten-free gochujang recipe. So I think I will be posting one very soon. Please stay tuned!! And thank you for asking. 🙂
Where can I get a larger pot from do make this? Looks very good
I bought mine in Korea but you should be able to buy it from some larger Korean grocery stores. I also have one online under Fermentation category in my SHOP but I just checked and they seem to be out of stock. I also do talk about one artisan that makes these onggi pots but not sure if you want to go to that much trouble. You could probably make the gochujang using other vessels as long as you leave the top open to breath. Let me know if you have more questions! Thanks for asking.
Hi Jinjoo, i just finished making my Homemade Gochujang 2 days ago i use only Yeotgireumgaru, Gochugaru (Fine Powder), Sweet Rice Flour, Ssalyeot & Kosher Salt but WITHOUT Mejugaru. Today i tried to taste my gochujang and i found it a lil bit too salty. Should i be worry? Should i add more ssalyeot into the jar? Thank you Jinjoo^^
Hi! Gochujang will be a bit salty when you taste it alone but should not be so terribly salty. I’m not sure how it works without the Mejugaru but you can certainly add more ssalyeot if you think it’s way too salty. I would love to hear how it turns out without Mejugaru so please keep me updated. Thanks for asking and good luck!
Hi. I want do Gochujang myself since one year ago. But i don’t find Mejugaru anywhere (all Korean grocery don’t have Mejugaru)). On the internet when i find it, isn’t possible to purchases for my country (France, Paris). How do mejugaru myself or How to substitute it with something else! Sorry for my approximate english. thanks you
HI Lamia, That’s too bad that you can’t buy mejugaru…sorry to hear that. So, you can make mejugaru yourself by making meju from cooked soybeans but that takes a lot of work, time and also smells pretty bad. I do plan to post about that one of these days. But I did see a recipe for making gochujang from deonjang. So basically you add some vegetable broth (kelp, onion) to deonjang and then add find red chili powder, korean sea salt, rice syrup (jocheong). I don’t have the exact recipe yet and have not tried it myself but I will try to test it and post a quick recipe soon. Hope it helps. Thanks for asking!
Thank you very much for responding so quickly. Too bad I should be satisfied with the sauce sold in store.
I’m very excited to hear how this turns out. I’m trying to make gochuchang for a friend who is sensitive to wheat and soy. I’ve been trying to figure out a good replacement for meju. I had the idea of using a different malted grain, but I will have to try the rice syrup! Let me know how it turns out.
Hi Benjamin,
Thank you so much for your comment. Have you found a replacement for meju? I am kind of finding that hard because that’s the building block of gochujang and doenjang. Let me know how it turns out for you. thanks
Do you know if there is a recommended temperature range during the fermentation process? You mention starting this during the cold winter months, but I’m wondering if this would work in Hawaii . . . maybe on a sunny windowsill inside rather than outside to keep a more moderate temperature than if outside? Or am I off track and warmer would be better?
Korean weather is relatively cold to warm during months of Feb – Apr. Temperatures above 80 F is probably starting to get too warm for the start of the fermentation process. But once it is fully fermented (after 3 months or so) then it can stand warmer temperatures. Also exposing it to Sun is important because without it, it can start to develop molds. Generally a mild temperatures is best for slow fermentation. So, yes, having it on a sunny windowsill will work but you will have to endure the smell.. 🙂 About 1-2 months after it has fermented, you can cover it and keep in fridge. It will ferment in there too. Hope this helps!
Hi Jinjoo, in Korea where they ferment gochujang for years inonggi, where and how do the store the gochujang in summer? Everything I read online, only gives me information up to 6 months fermentation (winter & spring), but after that, no information. So I’m really curious about that. It would be more awesome to be able to age this gochujang for years.
Hi Serena, so normally gochujang is made every year which also means they are only supposed to last a year. Most of the time, gochujang that is over a year old is not used for cooking but just for making jangahjji (pickles). There are of course certain areas in Korea like Sunchang (which is famous for their gochujang) where you can find gochujang that has been aged for even 5 years. But to do this, you do need to be able to take good care of the gochujang and also I think it must be made in huge amounts. Because it can actually go bad or become too dry. People do store gochujang in onggi in the summer but it should not get rained on and it should be turned so it doesn’t dry too much. Also you may have to sprinkle some extra salt if you see too many white fungi on top. You could also keep it in your fridge during the summer in which case you don’t really have to care for it that much. I have been keeping my gochujang in the fridge since spring and I am finding that it is developing even a deeper flavor by now and I have a feeling it will stay good well into next year. Hope that helps and thanks so much for asking!
That is so interesting. Well at the very least you’ve convinced to make a smaller batch and not to age it outside past spring. After all we’re not exactly jang masters who can tend to it everyday, are we? Hahaha……
Hi JinJoo!
I have seen over the internet some quick home-made gochujang recipes.
They consists in the following ingredients:
-Water: 270 ml
-Brown sugar: 250 g
-Miso: 300 g
-Korean Chili pepper powder: 100 g
-Salt: 1 tablespoon
-Japanese sake or Korean soju: 1 teaspoon
-Rice vinegar: 1 teaspoon
How to prepare:
-Pour water in a large enough pan. Add sugar. Heat until all brown sugar is dissolved.
-Add miso. Keep heating, stirring with a wooden spatula all the time until mixture is smooth.
-Once most of the water has disappeared, add Korean Chili pepper powder. Mix well. Keep heating and slowly stirring untl water has disappeared and big bubbles start bursting at the surface.
-Switch off fire. Let cool until about 25~30 degrees Celsius temperature. Add salt, sake/soju and rice vinegar. Stir well. This last step at this temperature will insure that all yeasts are killed and will prevent further fermentation.
-Secure inside a vessel and leave inside the fridge. Can be kept for a whole year inside the fridge.
My question: Do you personally think that this recipe approaches the real chunjang? Do you think it is valid to prepare it for those who do not want to wait several months?
Thank you very much!
Johnny
So I have not tried this recipe myself but from the looks of it, it looks like it will produce a gochujang that is similar to the ones you buy from stores. But at least it doesn’t have corn syrup in it.:) I think it is totally valid to prepare this faster gochujang recipe since the commercially available ones are almost always this kind. Having said that, the ones that takes months to ferment (i.e. my gochujang recipe haha) have a totally different flavor profile. Basically it has the deep, complex flavor that only comes from real active fermentation and the umami taste just gets better over months. I am also planning to post a ‘instant’ gochujang recipe that you can make in just few minutes so stay tuned! Thanks for taking the time to ask! All the best.
Thank you for taking the time to reply! Always so friendly!
Yes, I understand that your recipe, that is fermented over months, is very rich in umami and I want to try it as soon as I reach all the ingredients!
Sometimes I want to prepare for example, a plate of tteobokki or bibimbap, and I don’t have gochujang, neither it is avaiable to be bought in my city……. this is the reason I would like to try this quick recipe, but I was afraid that I might loose in flavour significantly. But as you think it is totally valid to prepare it, now I’m more relaxed! hahaha
I am looking forward for your instant gochujang post!
Hi,
After you sprinkle the salt on top just when it is finished, do you set for a week then stir, cover with salt again and repeat incrementaly every week? Won’t that make it very salty in the end?
Hi! No you won’t be adding salt every week. Only in the beginning and if you see any signs of white or yellow fungus forming. And you can let it ferment in the fridge without worrying about fungus – if weather is warm for you where you are. Hope this helps.
I’m new to gochujang and I doubt I’ll be trying to make my own any time soon. Here in the U.S., I was able to order the premium one made by Chung-Jung-One. No corn syrup or preservatives. I’d really be interested in knowing how that one compares to the ones available in Korea.
Hi! So sorry for the late response as I have been traveling. So Chung Jung One is one of the brands I recommend because they have no corn syrup or preservatives. Koreans use Chung Jung One gochujang all the time. It does NOT have the live cultures and deep, complex flavors that authentic, traditional hand crafted gochujang’s have but it is totally fine in terms of flavor. Probably a little sweeter and simpler in taste but many young Koreans are actually very used to this taste. Thanks for asking and Happy New Year!!
Thank you for this recipe! I’m not Korean, just like to cook and experiment. Saw kimchi made for food truck food so tried his recipe.
Have two ideas: if you have a warm indoor room where you don’t mind smell, you can ferment inside. To prevent mold growing, use one of those handy hanging spotlights used for workshop, growing plants or warming baby chicks. Use infrared or UV bulb and that will kill any fungi. If room not quite warm enough, use heat pad.
Other idea is at king arthur flour baking website they sell bags of barley malt powder, used in bath when making bagels so they are chewy and brown outside. Someone could investigate to see if this was appropriate substitute.
I ended up here because looking for kimchi fried rice recipe, they call for pepper paste, and me looking to see if I could make it. I’d probably make smaller recipe.
Thanks for your hard work!
Those are all great ideas! It doesn’t have to be too warm, just not freezing. But using an infrared lamp sounds good too. I will definitely look into the barley malt powder from king arthur flour. Thanks for the info and neat ideas!!
My name is Jinju, too! 🙂
I’m envious of your glass onngi lid! I just started my gochujang two days ago. While it’s sitting and fermenting, do you need to mix it at all? Or do you just leave it undisturbed for the 6 months?
Oh Hi JinJu! Wonderful name!! haha. Oh, I know, I wish they sold the lids here.. I mean my local Korean store does but not sure where you live. So http://kimchimari.com/gochujang-is-fully-fermented-after-2-months/ is the article that talks about after making your gochujang. You should mix it when you see that the top is cracking and looking too dry. Depending on your weather and how wet/dry you gochujang mix was, you may not need to ferment it for full 6 months. Read my article for more info. Thanks for asking! Good luck!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! You got me really curious about the flavor of that gochujang of yours. I feel very inclined to try making it myself, but first I’ll have to find those ingredients here in Brazil. I might have to make some substitutions. Hopefully, it will turn out alright.
I am currently working on a simpler recipe but you will still need meju powder. Are you able to buy that? Thank you so much for your comment and good luck!
There are dozens of Korean markets in São Paulo, where most Koreans here live. I’m pretty sure they’ll have it. I’ll ask my mom, who lives there and probably knows, since she recently told me she’d made gochujang for the first time. I live in the mountains, in the country side, and I’ll be favored by our climate, hot and rainy summers, and (not too) cold and dry winters. I’ll have plenty of time to get the ingredients until our winter starts.
Good to know! Yes, in that case you should be able to get meju powder and other ingredients. The good thing about them is that they dont’ go bad quickly so you can have them for months before making them. If the weather is hot/humid, I do suggest you store the powders in the fridge until you are ready to make them. Good luck!
I so want to make this some day, but despair in mid-Wales buying all the ingredients. Hmmmmm. This is an amazing tutorial, btw.
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been wanting to make home made gochujang for a while and, not being able to read Korean beyond the basics, despaired of finding a recipe. Could you do a soybean paste ( dwenjang) recipe as well?
Hi! Great to hear that you will be making gochujang at home. It’s quite a bit of work but it’s something you can eat the whole year and beyond (if you keep in fridge). Dwenjang is lot more involved since I am thinking of even making meju but I have been thinking about it so stay tuned!! Thanks so much!
Heeeyy! Your gochujang looks amaaazing! I’ve also done a batch and it’s about 3 months in the fermentation process. If you want to have a look at it, it’s over here! 😀
https://mariesrecipes.wordpress.com/2017/08/13/update-on-the-gochujang/
Great! Which recipe did you use? You should be able to taste a fermented deeper taste as time passes. Thanks for sharing.
I used Maangchi’s recipe, I’m sure you must have seen it!
Hey Jinjoo! I used Maangchi’s recipe. I realised after doing it like in her video, that her steps differ a little from most recipes that I’ve seen online, especially at the malt powder part. Oh well. It still smells go and everything so I’m not scared of using it. On my blog, I wrote a little about it! https://mariesrecipes.wordpress.com/
Sure, I’m sure it will turn out fine. Good luck!
Thank you for the recipe. I made it this weekend and am looking forward to its maturity.
By the way, I was at H-Mart in Fairfax, Virginia, last night and the store carried the glass top for onggi jars.
Wonderful!! Sending ‘good fermentation’ vibes your way! Oh and yes, big Korean markets usually sell glass tops for onggi jars – that’s very good to know. Thank you so much for the info! and thank you for making gochujang!
How well did it work? 🙂
Do you mean how did my gochujang turn out? It came out wonderful – tons of umami flavor from the fermentation. It was so good that I have been making it every year now and people have been asking for it all the time.
Hello! I am super excited to make this gochujang!! I am currently in the process of making it now and have encountered an issue, my stove only does as low at 170 degrees, will this mess up the recipe?
Hi Jamie, so I think 170 is a bit high. It’s good up to 160 F but have a feeling it’s getting a bit risky after that. Is there a way you have a pot big enough and a thermometer that you can use to have the pot on the stove and keep the temp between 60-70 Celcius or up to 160F? Or maybe you could heat the stove to 170 and turn it on and off to maintain the temperature? Hopefully you can find a way.. thank you so much!
I really want to try making this, but is there any substitution for the malt barley? I have Celiac disease so I can’t have gluten……and sadly barley has gluten!!!!
Hmm.. so do you want to try this recipe? https://kimchimari.com/homemade-gochujang-recipe-easy-quick/ This does not use malty barley. But you have to store it in the refrigerator and will start to spoil and grow mold after few months – not like the original which will last over a year at room temperature. It does not have the deep taste that my original recipe has but you may not mind it. You can also try making it with by using a gluten free miso + red chili powder + rice syrup + guk ganjang. Hope it helps. Thanks!
Fantastic blog post. Just fantastic. I love Korean food, I love to cook food. Put two and two together, I’ve been cooking with various fermented foods that I have made over the year.. Now it’s time to make fermented Korean things.
This post is amazing, and you broke it down so simply nthat I feel confident I can make it.
iI am it in the position to spend $100-$200 for a real onggi. Do you think a food grade plastic bucket will work? I have black ones that don’t allow light to penetrate. If not where is a good place to buy a Clay pot for fermentation?
I did contact the man in your link, he makes wonderful things, it’s just not in my budget to buy one of his. Also your store links don’t show a vessel.
I plan to Google and search for a vessel, just was hoping to save some time and money if you have updated knowledge to share.
Thanks for this wonderful blog article. Sincerely, Thomas Shue
Thank you so much Thomas! I think a food grade bucket should work but not sure how it will hold up in the sun. I know the pottery link I have is quite expensive. If you have a big Korean market nearby they sell hangari there. The stores here in California sell them. But if you can’t buy those, I did find some on Amazon – search for Traditional Korean Earthenware for Fermentation” http://a.co/5xcACzu is one example. Any of those should work OK. Good luck!
Hi JinJoo,
I was excited that I made my first Korean dish, Bibimbap but using store bought gochujang lol..your recipes have inspired me and will definitely try to cook more Korean dishes again..gamsahabnida xx
That’s great! Most people use store bought gochujang so it should be fine. Enjoy!
Hi! I wanted to ask if it was possible to substitute the rice syrup with honey?
Hi Mona, although I have not tried it myself I am quite sure it will probably not be the best option as honey has natural antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial properties which means it will work against the beneficial bacteria from fermenting the gochujang. If you cannot find rice syrup, you may try using corn syrup instead – although in which case you may just buy gochujang…thank you for asking!
Hello JinJoo,
Thank you very much for this recipe !
Since I didn’t have 메주가루, I made my “own” fermented soybean powder… I ground frozen homemade natto (for the “fermented” part) and raw soybean. Hope it will work !
I wanted to make my own gochujang because I’m trying to not eat foods with additional sugar/syrup, so I left out rice syrup.
I will let you know how it turns out.
I was wondering if we can speed up the process of fermentation, with things like rice cooker (warm mode) or yogurt maker ?
Have a nice day,
Cass
Hello Cass, Wow thank you so much for sharing your ideas! Grounding frozen homemade natto is a neat idea! But the raw soybean, I’m not sure as Maeju Garu is made from cooked and fermented soybeans. Not having rice syrup may hinder the fermentation process since that also means less food for the bacteria to grown on but I would love to hear how it turns out. And kudos for you to wanting to make your own – that’s why I make my own too. Of course, mostly because of the huge taste difference but also because most store sold ones have corn syrup in them. How is the temperature where you live? You can certainly try keeping it warmer but it may also get moldy if you keep it closed without the sun. The sun helps keep the gochujang from developing molds so not sure how it will go. All the best of luck to you!
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!