Make Kimchi

This article will teach you how make Kimchi.

10 Second Summary

1. Mix salt and water, then pour it over the cabbage.
2. Cover the cabbage with a plate for 12 hours.
3. Drain the brine, add the rest of the ingredients, and pack into a large jar.
4. Cover the mixture with the rest of the brine, and close the jar.
5. Let the it ferment in a cool place for 3 to 6 days.

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4x1/4x2 inch like french fries
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 lbs. Chinese (Napa) cabbage, cut into 2-inch squares
  • 6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, then slivered
  • 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons of brine shrimp sauce or anchovy fish sauce(available Korean specialty stores). This can be missed out if you would like a vegetarian Kimchi.
  • 1/4 cup of Korean ground dried hot pepper (or other mildly hot ground red pepper)
  • 1 cup of shredded Korean radish (moo in Korean)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Steps

  1. Wash your hands and all of the utensils and containers used before beginning. There is a vital need for cleanliness, both of the jars and utensils you use and also your hands; you don't want to start breeding coliforms with your probiotics. Kimchi and kombucha can grow mold due to unsanitary practices.
  2. Dissolve the 3 tablespoons salt in the water.
  3. Put the cabbage into a large bowl, a crock, or a nonreactive pot, and pour the brine over it.
  4. Weigh the cabbage down with a plate. Let the cabbage stand for 12 hours.
  5. Drain the cabbage, reserving the brine. Mix the cabbage with the remaining ingredients, including the 1 teaspoon salt.
  6. Pack the mixture into a 2-quart jar. Pour enough of the reserved brine over the cabbage to cover it. Push a freezer bag into the mouth of the jar, and pour the remaining brine into the bag. Seal the bag.
    • You may prefer to not add the plastic bag on the mouth of the jar. The probiotics in kimchi are just like the ones in Kombucha. They are both highly reactive to plastic, metal and anything with a PTFE coating or other similar type of coating including Microban; these will break down under the probiotics and may poison you. Also, do not use any plastic utensils or metal utensils and containers (use wooden utensils) and use only glass to store Kimchi. You can't buy Kimchi in a plastic jar for this reason. Instead, simply put the cover on the jar, leaving it loose and let it bubble over while fermenting. When your kimchi is as sour as you like, simply tighten the cover and wash off the outside of the jar.
  7. Let the kimchi ferment in a cool place, at a temperature no higher than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, for 3 to 6 days. Allow to ferment until the kimchi is as sour as you like.
  8. Remove the brine bag, and cap the jar tightly. Store the kimchi in the refrigerator, where it will keep for months.
  9. Finished.



Tips

  • You don't need to go to a Korean specialty store to get anchovy sauce; the brand Thai Kitchen is easily available at stores like Shaw's, Hannaford, and other supermarkets has a fish sauce which is made from just anchovies and salt. On the other hand, the shrimp brine you may have to indeed buy from a specialty store.
  • You can use this recipe to prepare a variety of other vegetables as well as raw fish: turnips, peppers, watermelon rinds (take off the green outer coat, using only the white flesh), mint leaves. For raw fish (it is suggested that you cut tilapia fillets into strips), make sure you soak it in a solution of vinegar for at least 30 minutes...squeezing the fish every 5 minutes to release the water as the vinegar cooks the fish. Then rinse the fish in water and squeeze as much left over moisture you can. Use the same ingredients, (one recipe is half a medium onion chopped to look like C's, 1 tbs of sugar, 1 tbs salt, and 1/4 cup red pepper) but only refrigerate for 24 hours before you eat.

Warnings

  • Plastics and metals contain chemicals and heavy metals which can break down from the probiotics, so while you are trying to get healthy you can actually be poisoning yourself.
  • Precaution should be taken in preparing this dish, as the fermentation process requires the food to be stored outside normal refrigeration temperatures. If you are at all concerned about your abilities to prepare this dish, contact your local Korean community and ask for their advice. They will be more than pleased to share their knowledge.
  • Simple hand and jar washing, paying attention to fingernails and crevices will go a long way to keeping everything in a healthy usable condition.

Things You'll Need

  • Large ceramic or glass container
  • Freezer bag
  • Knife

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Make_Kimchi&oldid=358273"