Gochujang Ingredients<\/a> list.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTraditional Homemade Gochujang Recipe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Makes: 4 quarts Prep Time: 6 hrs Cook Time: 6 hrs Difficulty: Medium<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ingredients<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nSee Recipe Card below for scalable ingredients —<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will also need<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n1 Korean gochujang hangari (\ud56d\uc544\ub9ac)\/onggi (\uc639\uae30) = glazed clay vessel or pot that can hold liquid but is porous for it to breathe<\/li>\n\n\n\n 2 large bowls (5 quart or bigger)<\/li>\n\n\n\n fine sieve or medium grade (#50) cheese cloth<\/li>\n\n\n\n 1 large pot (5 quart or larger)<\/li>\n\n\n\n 1 fine mosquito net or fine mesh fabric to cover top of gochujang pot<\/li>\n\n\n\n 1 string to tie mesh fabric<\/li>\n\n\n\n coals, sesame seeds, metal bowl (optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nStep-by-Step Instructions on How to make Gochujang at home<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n1-2 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:\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Hot coals with sesame seeds for sterilizing gochujang hangari<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Gochujang hangari upside down with hot coals inside<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE NIGHT BEFORE: Soak malt barley (all 750 g of it!) in 5 litre of cold water for 5 hrs or more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n THE NIGHT BEFORE: Soak sweet rice in water for 3-4 hrs or more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Massage malt barley with your hands, by getting a handful and squeezing them in the water. Repeat many times throughout the malt mixture.<\/li>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/em><\/span><\/span>\n\n
<\/figure>Malt barley (yeotkireum) in cheesecloth<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n\n
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Judith straining malt barley through cheesecloth – so nice to have another set of hands so I can take a picture of it!!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>Malt Barley liquid strained using cheesecloth<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Add sweet rice powder to strained liquid from 7.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Leave mixture in the oven with a temperature of about 60\u00b0C (140\u00b0F) 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… \ud83d\ude42\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Malt Barley (YeotKireum) liquid in warm temp changes starch into sugar and is cloudy when stirred<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nRemove 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.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Malt barley liquid with sweet rice powder – fermented and reduced for gochujang base<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOnce liquid is cooled, add fine gochugaru, mejugaru and sea salt.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Fine Gochugaru and Mejukaru for gochujang<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nIt 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.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Korean gochujang in the making – gochukaru, mejukaru and sea salt added to fermented malt barley liquid<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFinally add rice syrup (jocheong \uc870\uccad) – add more or less to your taste.<\/li>\n\n\n\n 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 –\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Freshly made gochujang ready for 6 month fermentation – close up<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCover 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.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Transfer gochujang into the prepared, sanitized clay pot (hangari \ud56d\uc544\ub9ac). Wipe the top and side edges clean. Sprinkle top with sea salt to help keep any bad bacteria from growing on the surface.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Home made gochujang ready for 6 month fermentation in full sun!!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nLeave 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!\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Gochujang in clay pot (onggi) with glass top<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAnd I hope to share with you how my gochujang turns out under the California sun in the next 6 months.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Gochujang is all made and ready for 6 month fermentation!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe salt crystals are like little diamonds~~ love love love..\u2665\u2665\u2665<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n