Kimchi Adventure

Last week I wrote in a post about how I had ventured into the world of making Kimchi for the first time and I said I would put up a post about it, so here it is!

About 5 or 6 weeks ago we had family staying with us and we had lots of late night talks about all the food we both grow and things we like to make and preserve. I mentioned to my cousin's wife that I had several cabbages growing that were nearly ready and she said to make Kimchi and to use the carrots from our garden as well.

So that is what I did!

I have never tasted Kimchi before so I knew this could be a risk but I figured nothing ventured nothing gained.

So first of all I had to harvest the vegetables from the garden. The recipe will be at the bottom of this post after the photos. Warning: this is a long post with the recipe!

Then they all needed to be washed and prepared.

Then I started the preparation of salting the cabbage.

Adding the salt and water to soak for the day in the brine.

The cabbage had to soak in the salted brine for several hours with a plate on top to keep it all submerged. Then comes the preparation and adding of other ingredients.

This is where it gets interesting with massaging the vegetables with a paste, it is starting to turn into Kimchi.

My cousin's wife gave me the recipe she uses and it comes from  feastingathome.com

How to make Kimchi ( my slightly adapted recipe )

Ingredients:

2 pounds napa cabbage, ( I used Wong Bok ) cored and cut into about 1-inch pieces ( 2 pounds is just under 1 kilo, I used two good medium to large size wong bok cabbages, you can see in the photos above how much this is.)

1/4 cup sea salt (60 grams)

2 cups daikon radish ( I used carrots ), cut into matchstick strips

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, sliced 

6 cloves garlic, whole

1 shallot, quartered ( I used a few spring onions from my garden )

2 - 6 tablespoons Korean-style red pepper flakes ( I just used regular chilli flakes and only 1/2 tablespoon because I don't like really hot food )

2 tablespoons fish sauce, or shrimp paste, miso paste or soy sauce ( I used miso paste ).

2 teaspoons sugar or an alternative like honey or brown rice syrup

Optional: 1 tablespoon glutenous rice powder ( I didn't use this )

1. Salt the cabbage 6-8 hours

Reserve 1-2 outer leaves of the cabbage and refrigerate for later use, wrap in plastic. Cut the remaining cabbage and place it in a large bowl or preserving pan with the salt and toss. Add enough cold water to cover the cabbage and stir until salt is dissolved. Keep the cabbage submerged with a plate over the bowl and let stand at room temperature for 6-8 hours ( giving a stir midway through if possible) or leave overnight.

2. Drain the cabbage, saving the brine.

Rinse the cabbage, not excessively but just a little quick rinse, drain and squeeze out any excess water or blot with several paper towels and place back in the pan or bowl. Add in the prepared daikon radish or carrots, spring onions ( scallions ) or shallot.

3. Make the paste:

Place the ginger, garlic, shallot or spring onions, red pepper flakes, fish sauce or alternatives and sugar in your food processor. Add optional rice powder if using. Process until well combined, pulsing until it becomes a thick paste.

4. Massage:

Scoop the paste over the cabbage and using tongs or gloved hands, mix and massage the vegetables and paste together really well until well coated.

5. Pack the cabbage into a large two-quart jar or two 1 quart jars ( equivalent to 1 litre or 2 litre jars ), or a crock. Leave 1-2 inches of room at the top for juices to release. Add a little of the brine to just cover the vegetables, pressing down a bit so they are submerged. Place the whole cabbage leaf saved in the fridge, over the top, pressing down. This should help keep the vegetables submerged. You can also use a fermentation weight or a small ziplock bag filled with a little water. It is an important step to prevent mold forming but no worries if it does happen, it is not ruined. Just remove the moldy cabbage leaf on top, wipe the rim of the jar and remove any vegetables with mold and then continue.

6. Ferment ( 3-4 days ) Cover loosely with a lid, allowing air to escape and place the jar in a baking dish or on a tray to collect any juices that may escape. ( I didn't have any issues with this ). Leave this somewhere dark and cool for 3 days. A basement or lower cooler cupboard in the pantry or kitchen away from heat works best.

7. Evening of Day 3: Check for fermentation action or bubbles. Tap the jar and see if tiny bubbles rise to the top. Check for overflow which also indicates fermentation. If you see bubbles, it is ready to store in the refrigerator where it will continue to ferment for 3 more days or longer. If no action then give it another day or two. If you don't see bubbles when tapping the jar, it just may need a couple more days - especially in cooler climates. Be patient. 

8. Refrigerate: After you see bubbles, usually 3-5 days, the kimchi is ready but it won't achieve its full flavour and complexity until about 2 weeks. The longer you ferment the more complex and tangy the taste. If you like a fizzy brine, tighten the lid, burping every week or so. If you don't want to think about it, give the lid one loose twist so it's on there but gases can escape.

9. Maintenance: 

This will keep for months stored in the fridge as long as it is submerged in the brine and it will continue to ferment very slowly, getting more flavourful. Feel free to remove the cabbage leaf and just press down on the kimchi to submerge under the brine, after each use.

10. Serve: Serve it as a side dish, scoop it out using a slotted spoon, place in a small bowl and drizzle with sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and fresh spring onions. Or enjoy any way you like.

See the website for further details involving the kimchi process.  feastingathome.com 

I think this recipe is long enough here!

Here is my hidden dark cupboard where I placed the kimchi for a few days. 

* Note the fasteners on the jars aren't fully closed to allow for gases to escape and also note the cabbage leaf sitting on top of the Kimchi to submerge the vegetables.

Kimchi is a naturally fermented food and is full of healthy bacteria which is good for our guts and immunity. 

If you like the idea of fermented foods such as Kimchi but you don't grow your own vegetables or maybe you do but you don't grow cabbages. Don't worry! There is nothing wrong with still wanting to preserve and can vegetables by using produce from the supermarket or a vegetable market. You still get all the nutritional benefits of the vegetables as well as knowing exactly what is going in your food. Plus the satisfaction of making it yourself. And much much cheaper than buying fermented food from the supermarket.

I thoroughly enjoyed the process of making Kimchi because it was something I hadn't done before and I love learning new recipes.

I hope this will inspire you to try your own Kimchi or other fermented foods.

Have a great week.

Blessings, Fiona

"Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Ephesians 4:9