This is how my mother used to make her gochujang! It’s the traditional way. Making gochujang from scratch is easier than you might think. Hope you try it.
Rub the malt between palms and squeeze out milky liquid. Strain the malt liquid through a fine sieve into another bowl. Squeeze the malt husks with your hands through the sieve to drain out the remaining liquid. Transfer the liquid to a large heavy bottom pot.
Rub the malt between palms and squeeze out milky liquid. Strain the malt liquid through a fine sieve into another bowl. Squeeze the malt husks with your hands through the sieve to drain out the remaining liquid. Transfer the liquid to a large heavy bottom pot.
Add the sweet rice powder to the malt water and stir well. Turn the heat on to warm it up. Warm but not too hot to touch. Turn the heat off, and let it sit for two hours. The enzymes in the malt will break down the starch in sweet rice and convert to sugar.
Turn the heat on to medium and boil the liquid down to a half, stirring once in a while. Measure the depth of the liquid with a wooden spoon or spatula, so you can easily tell when the liquid is reduced to a half. Stir once in a while. Let it cool down a bit.
While the liquid is still warm, pour the malt liquid into a large bowl, and add the salt. If you're not using Korean sea salt, hold some back and add as necessary after mixing dry ingredients. Stir to dissolve. This is about a cup less than what’s required so you can add the rest.
Stir-in the gochugaru and mix very well until there are no big lumps. Continue to stir. Let it sit for a few hours until the dry ingredients fully absorb the liquid, and salt is completely melted. Adjust the saltiness, sweetness, and thickness as necessary. Gochujang should be a bit too salty to eat as is.
Transfer to a jar(s) or an earthenware -- onggi hangari, if you have one. Lightly sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cover with a fine mesh fabric or cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.
Place the lid on. Keep it outdoors in cool temperatures or at room temperature, if cooler. On sunny days, remove the lid and allow some exposure to sunlight. For this small batch, it takes 60 to 90 days to ferment. After that, you can refrigerate.
How to sterilize onggi
– Clean with warm water, and place it upside down to remove excess water. Then, place it upside down on the stove. Turn the heat to medium to heat it up, and then reduce to medium low. Leave it on the heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Longer for bigger ones.