I’m tossing up a jar of Kimchi this morning. This batch is on the fiery side because I like a little extra kick, however, you can easily tone it down and make it as mild as you like. Loaded with vitamins and rich in lactobacilli, which aid in digestion, Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented condiment and can be made with a host of seasoned vegetables. I prefer the standard version with cabbage. For many this may not be a love at first taste due to it’s pungent flavor, but once you acquire a taste for it you will make this a regular side to just about every dish!
Traditional Kimchi
2016-05-16 06:08:03
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cabbage
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1-2 TBS grated ginger
- 1 to 5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces daikon radish
- 2 bunches of scallions, diced fine
- 3-4 medium carrots
Instructions
- Start by coring and quartering your cabbage, then slice into fine strips.
- Place the sliced cabbage into an extra large bowl, add your sea salt, toss and let rest to extract the water from the cabbage. While the cabbage is resting, coarsely chop up your carrots and radish, add to your food processor along with the cloves of garlic. Gently process until veggies resemble a medium shred.
- Add mixture to the resting cabbage.
- Finely dice the scallions; add to cabbage.
- Finely grate the ginger; add to cabbage along with the red pepper flakes.
- Toss the entire mixture until well combined, let rest another 30 minutes to an hour.
- With a stainless steel funnel, ladle the Kimchi into a 1/2 gallon size mason jar.
- Use a ferment press or spoon to pack down the mixture; continue adding and pressing the mixture until the jar is firmly packed and full. There should be a nice 1" layer or so of liquid resting on top. If you don't have enough liquid from the cabbage juice, add just enough filtered water to cover.
- Place lid and ring onto your mason jar and secure firmly. Set the jar into a shallow bowl or pan and let sit at room temperature for three days. It's common for the juices to leak out due to the increasing pressure as it ferments.
- After 3 days you will see tiny bubbles on the surface of the water. This means your Kimchi is quite alive with all those good bacteria essential for proper digestion.
- Place your jar into the refrigerator. Though technically the Kimchi is ready to eat after 3 days, the longer it rests in the refrigerator the better it becomes. It will keep for 6 months or more!
Notes
- If you prefer chunkier Kimchi, chop your cabbage into larger pieces and your other veggies into thin 2-3" sticks instead of shredding.
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