Print PDF
Favorite
Email
My father was stationed in Korea once upon a time and brought home a taste for Kimchi / Kim Chee.
My mother did make it a few times but from her description it sounded very complicated, and something no one should try without first getting a certification in Kim Chee Preparedness.
So when I no longer lived close to an Asian Market with gallon jars of it for a decent price, I learned either to do without, or pay $5 for a tiny little jar that would last me a week if I resisted the urge to eat it daily.
Then I got the book "Wild Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz, and have been making delicious Kimchi easily, ever since.
My mother did make it a few times but from her description it sounded very complicated, and something no one should try without first getting a certification in Kim Chee Preparedness.
So when I no longer lived close to an Asian Market with gallon jars of it for a decent price, I learned either to do without, or pay $5 for a tiny little jar that would last me a week if I resisted the urge to eat it daily.
Then I got the book "Wild Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz, and have been making delicious Kimchi easily, ever since.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1Assemble tools and ingredients
At its most basic, kimchee is chinese cabbage (can use napa, pac choi, or any chinese cabbage) fermented with garlic, pepper, salt, and ginger. Other ingredients such as daikon (or other radish), carrot, scallion / green onion or other onion, fish (in the form of dried crumbled fish, fish broth or fish sauce, or Hondashi fish broth powder), and even seaweed, are commonly used depending on preference.
Here I show Kosher Salt, scallions, daikon, fresh ginger, hondashi powder, dried pepper flakes specifically for making kimchee, fresh garlic, carrot, and a very large head of pac choi /bok choy.
You will also need a sharp knife, a large nonreactive mixing bowl, a smaller nonreactive mixing bowl, and glass or stoneware jars or crocks to hold the finished product.
You will need anywhere from several hours, to overnight, to soak the fresh chopped veggies in salt solution, and then anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks to ferment your kimchee depending on how warm the room is, how much salt to vegetables, and whether you had leftover kimchee "juice" to jump-start the fermentation with.
For those who want measured quantities either to follow, or to get a ballpark idea of what the proportions are:
For roughly two quart jars:
2 lbs chinese cabbage
1 whole daikon radish or several red radishes
1 to 2 carrots
onions and/or leeks, bunch of scallions, or shallots... as many or few as you like.
6-8 cloves of garlic, or as many as you like... your love of garlic is the only limiting factor
5-6 tablespoons of grated ginger, or grate up a 4 inch piece... again, more to taste if you like it especially
Seaweed if you like, but I didn't use it in this recipe
3 tsp. hondashi japanese fish broth powder ( or a handful of dried bonito, crumbled)
Brine will be 4 cups of water to 4 tablespoons of salt. If this isn't enough to cover the fresh veggies, then double the brine recipe.
Here I show Kosher Salt, scallions, daikon, fresh ginger, hondashi powder, dried pepper flakes specifically for making kimchee, fresh garlic, carrot, and a very large head of pac choi /bok choy.
You will also need a sharp knife, a large nonreactive mixing bowl, a smaller nonreactive mixing bowl, and glass or stoneware jars or crocks to hold the finished product.
You will need anywhere from several hours, to overnight, to soak the fresh chopped veggies in salt solution, and then anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks to ferment your kimchee depending on how warm the room is, how much salt to vegetables, and whether you had leftover kimchee "juice" to jump-start the fermentation with.
For those who want measured quantities either to follow, or to get a ballpark idea of what the proportions are:
For roughly two quart jars:
2 lbs chinese cabbage
1 whole daikon radish or several red radishes
1 to 2 carrots
onions and/or leeks, bunch of scallions, or shallots... as many or few as you like.
6-8 cloves of garlic, or as many as you like... your love of garlic is the only limiting factor
5-6 tablespoons of grated ginger, or grate up a 4 inch piece... again, more to taste if you like it especially
Seaweed if you like, but I didn't use it in this recipe
3 tsp. hondashi japanese fish broth powder ( or a handful of dried bonito, crumbled)
Brine will be 4 cups of water to 4 tablespoons of salt. If this isn't enough to cover the fresh veggies, then double the brine recipe.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
But I'm not saying that large amounts aren't bad for you. It's still a sodium salt of glutamic acid, and these salts among many salts are found to indirectly cause obesity (but I think there's obvious social reasons behind this). Glutamic acid though, is found in most cheeses, soy sauce, grape juice, peas, tomatoes, etc.
Anyway, I don't think a little ajinomoto or hondashi is going to hurt ya.
Dr. Russell L. Blaylock -- Excitotoxins [MSG, Aspartame]
Dr. Blaylock on Fluoride, Aspartame, MSG and Vaccinations (1)
Dr. Russell Blaylock M.D. is a retired neurosurgeon and author whose trailblazing research has tirelessly documented the fact that there is an epidemic of neurological disorders in the western world which are directly connected to toxins in our environment, and how this relates to the larger global eugenics program behind population reduction. In this fascinating interview, Blaylock reveals how depopulation programs forged by the Rockefeller foundation in association with the Nazis were the basis of modern day incarnations of eugenics like fluoride poisoning and vaccinations.
Disillusionment is a positive thing!
I had to add this. I play with my food a lot...
Check out videos on YouTube about MSG, Fluoride and Aspartame which are all brain toxins!
Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, Exitotoxins on Fluoride, Aspartame, MSG and Vaccinations
Aspartame, MSG, Dumbing Down Society
Disillusionment is mostly a positive thing.
My mother also had a very complicated method that made it darned near a priesthood just to make kimchi, that she swore was the only way to go...and was also the reason she almost never made kimchi, because fully half the time, it didn't come out well.
Thanks
OK... I'm a little late on my reply, but yep, things eventually worked out great.
I've since learned that small batches tend to start quickly. Why? I do not know! Whenever I ferment in the bucket it takes quite a while to start. The fermentation "lock" (usually used for brewing beer) starts to bubble after a week or so. That first batch did not ever really start, but subsequent batches have been delicious.
I've also learned that I don't need to stay too close to the recipes I've found. Basically, I like cabbage and little carrot sticks. I buy the pre-cut carrot matchsticks for ease. Sometimes cucumber, sometimes celery, anything goes, but ALWAYS garlic. :D
I also use regular hot pepper flakes now. much simpler to find, and I like the flavor and spiciness. A little bit of dark sesame oil goes a long way and adds a wonderful flavor.
how have your Kimchi experiments worked out? I'd love to hear back.
--Tedinski
There are a bunch of recipes for Kimchi on the web. Try the one at the top of the page here, create your own, or try http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/UltimateKimchi.html and see you like it. Like I mentioned above, I find that it's not nearly as important to stick to a recipe as I originally worried it would be. I used to measure, check, mix & mix some more, etc. etc. Now I tend to make Kimchi out of whatever happens to be in the fridge! Cabbage is pretty much a "must" in my opinion, but do NOT worry too much!
Have fun, and let us all know how your first batch turns out!
--Tedinski
Unfortunately, the large batch seems to be "stuck". It's been in 70F temps for over 48 hours, and not a single bubble!
Any tips?
Or, if there is enough salt to really slow things down, but not enough to halt them entirely, it might just take a bit.
Alternatively, I do believe a really large batch may take longer to get started.
I would give it a few more days and before figuring something is wrong, but tasting some each day should tell you what changes are taking place.
Keep us posted on the progress, because maybe I too will have a new use for the beer brewing equipment in the basement, if this works out well!
I think you're right about the large batch, and perhaps I should just give it a bit of time. apparently, some sources say fermentation won't start for up to a week!
The fermentation lock is supposed to stop molds from growing. Once the kimchi starts to "work", the gasses are trapped in the bucket, and the whole thing becomes anaerobic... so, no goo!
On MANY people's recommendations (here and elsewhere) I bought a copy of Sandor's book. Kindle is handy when you wish to read. ;)
Thanks so much for your quick reply. I'll report back w/ info on success, or failure. (failures are such useful learning tools!)
Tedinski
I opened up the kimchi expecting the worst -- horrible smells & rotting veggies! Imagine my surprise when it smelled quite good, and looks about the same as when I put it all in the bucket. Very odd!
The house changes temperatures a fair bit because I heat with wood, but its never dropped below 60, and usually (80%of the time) it's around 70 to 75.
Is there such a thing as inorganic non-fermentable cabbage? Perhaps I've found a supplier of everlasting, never-spoiling foodstuffs! :D
So, I ask again... has anyone on this forum run into this before? It's really NOT too salty, and the bucket was washed out with non-chlorinated water (my water is supplied by a spring... very clean and NO chemicals).
Is there something I can add to help start the ferment? Perhaps some whey? I've read on other forums that whey is great for getting kimchi started, but then again I've read that you should "never use whey" because it messes up the flavors.
Totally confuddled,
Tedinski
It has to be warm not cold in the room or the fermentation process will take weeks. 70 degrees or better. DO NOT SEAL IT IN A JAR; it will explode from the pressure. This is why you see massive Kim-Chee production in the spring and summer in Korea.
Also when you "Brine" the cabbage you will see an incredible shrinking of it.
Using the "soup" mix for your fish sauce adds allot more salt to the Kim-chee.
At any Asian Market Chinese ask for fish sauce in a bottle. Be careful about using too much or if will be very "fishy"..
There also should be plenty "Korean" markets in any city and you can get Kim-Chee powder by the pound.
If you use allot of salt the Kim-chee will become rubbery quickly; you can use less for a more crunchy texture and less salt.
Kim-chee will change taste; it will become "sour"; it isn't spoiled just really sour. You them can use it as 'Kim-Chee Chi-gae" kim-Chee soup.
Put it into a post boil it; add goodies like rice cake. "You have to soak it first and also add a meat of you want or Mandoo to it.
Remember this; you can not sneak eat this stuff. When you open the reefer the whole neighbor hood will know and if you are going to work same thing. We here have a saying called - KimChee Breath. If you are going on a date; DON'T EAT IT, unless she has too LoL...
Thanks for the kudos though!