Iam a Bohemian girl, through and through. My ancestors came from theCzech/Slovakia area and traveled to Ellis Island long before my time tosow their roots in the wonderful United States. They came from a placecalled “Paa Town”, so when they arrived here in the US and were asked asurname, they removed town and went with Paa. I sure do get a lot ofquestions about my last name….it is very unique. If I get married someday, my plan is to change my middle name to Paa so I am able to carry itwith me forever. I grew up in New Ulm, a small, full fledged Germantown along the Minnesota River in southern Minnesota. It surely is abeautiful place that is packed with history – Hermann the German, The Glockenspiel, Faschinand Schell’s Brewerythe second oldest family run brewery in the United States! As a littlegirl you could often find me wearing a drindl and requesting just aplate of sauerkraut for dinner, maybe a couple of my grandma’s pillowysoft potato dumplings as well. I am still in love with sauerkraut as anadult and recently made my own through lacto-fermentation for the firsttime. It is so yummy and full of probiotics! I even find myself eatingit for breakfast some days.
My adventures in fermenting have not stopped there. With all thebeautiful cabbages and asian vegetables overflowing at the farmer’smarket, I decided I wanted to try and make kimchi. Kimchi is a theKorean version of sauerkraut, a very spicy condiment with a basic baseof cabbage, garlic, salt, peppers. It is loaded with vitamins A, B, andC, along with healthy bacteria (lactobacilli). I looked through severaldifferent versions online before I began, and even asked a few of theAsian vendors at the market for some tips. I found this websiteto have an excellent video on the process of making kimchi! Once I feltlike I had enough knowledge to create my own kimchi, I gathered all theveggies and the madness began!
Here is the step-by-step recipe for homemade kimchi:
1. I gathered about 6 1/2 lbs. of napa cabbage and one large daikonradish. Core the napa cabbage just like a regular cabbage. Cut in halflengthwise, then in half again so you have four quarters, then removethe core from the bottom of each quarter. This picture is the napacabbage chopped into about 1 to 1 1/2 in pieces and the daikon radishjulienned. As you can see, kimchi has a much chunkier texture comparedto sauerkraut.
2. Place into large bowl that you will have enough room to cover withbrine and submerge the mixture. Dissolve 4-5 tablespoons of sea saltinto about 10 cups of filtered water to create your brine. Pour over cabbage and daikon, then press down with plate that barely fits insidecontainer so that brine rises above mixture. I used a heavy pot filledwith water to keep the plate in place and the mixture fully covered.
3. Let this rest for about 8-12 hours. In the meantime, I julienned 5carrots and 1 green pepper and thinly sliced 2 leeks including greenparts.
4. To make the paste above I pureed the following in a food processor:
-4 cloves of garlic -3/4 tablespoon of dried, ground alpeppo pepper -1 1/2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger -1 tablespoon sugar -2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or tamari (which is naturally gf) -1/4 cup filtered water
5. Once I had let the cabbage/daikon mixture rest in brine for about12 hours I drained all of the brine off into a separate container tokeep in case I needed a little extra after packing the jars. Then Isqueezed all of the brine out of the mixture. To this I added theadditional veggies that I had chopped.
6. Then for the fun part – I poured the paste on top of the mixtureand thoroughly worked it in, coating every inch of it! It is a good ideato wear rubber gloves for this part because of the strength of thepeppers.
7. Finally tightly pack into a crock or glass jars (I like to use THESE) so the brine risesabove the top of the kimchi and put cover on. If you are not gettingenough brine from pressing the kimchi down, feel free to add some of thebrine you drained off.
8. Let ferment on the counter for about 1-2 days, (if roomtemperature is around 70 degrees F), depending on how you like it totaste. Some people put it in the refrigerator right away because theylike a milder version, however you will not get any of the probioticcomponents by doing this. I taste mine every 12 hours or so to make sureI like how it is coming along. Be careful when opening the jar thoughbecause the live bacteria will cause lots of bubbles and fizz!
9. Once the kimchi meets your taste standards, place in refrigerator,where it will last 4-6 months and continue to slowly ferment.
Kimchi is great as a small side dish or condiment on a tasty burger. Need other inspirations to how to use it? Check out these kimchi recipes,everything from kimchi pancakes to fried rice. The nicething about this recipe is you can really adapt it to include whateveryour favorite Asian veggies are and modify the spice level to yourliking. The only things that are a must are having the right cabbage andat least one root vegetable in the mixture. Let your creative juicesflow!
this blog is supported by affiliate amazon links, which i may make a small portion from if you decide to purchase.
The kimchi fermentation process is very short in comparison to making sauerkraut. Kimchi ferments at room temperature in only 1-2 days or more slowly in the refrigerator. For safety, kimchi should be stored refrigerated and is best eaten within 1 week, as the quality of kimchi deteriorates with longer fermentation.
What Is Kimchi Made Of? This recipe starts with two heads of napa cabbage. Rubbing the cabbage with coarse sea salt draws out the excess moisture, extends the shelf life, and adds flavor. You'll also need fish sauce, green onions, white onion, garlic, white sugar, ground ginger, and gochugaru.
Taste. The biggest difference between fresh and fermented Kimchi is the taste. Fresh Kimchi is more like a salad, so it taste more raw, fresh and crunchy. Fermented Kimchi is softer and tangy.
Kimchi is high in sodium, with about 500 milligrams per cup. That's more than 20% of all the sodium that you're supposed to get in a day. Too much sodium can raise your risk of high blood pressure. If kimchi isn't prepared or stored properly, it can cause food poisoning, especially in people who are immune compromised.
If you leave kimchi outside of the fridge, over time it will become over-fermented and won't taste so great anymore. What are the health benefits of eating kimchi? People have known about the health benefits of eating kimchi for thousands of years.
Glab says, "Over time, a fermented kimchi will lose its crunch, and flavors will dull, so there is a specific time frame within which kimchi is at its best." Kimchi will continue to naturally ferment even when properly stored, but the flavor can grow dull or even sour. But not all "old" kimchi is bad!
If you see bubbles, that's a good thing! That means it's working. I would open the jar over the sink every few days to give it a sniff test and to stir the kimchi around a little bit.
Homemade kimchi must be kept refrigerated and will last for up to 1 month. Store-bought kimchi that remains unopened can be kept at room temperature for 1-3 months. If you have store-bought kimchi that's been opened, it will be good for 3-4 days at room temperature and up to 6 months when refrigerated.
If you opt for fermentation, the kimchi will be ready to eat when it begins to taste and smell sour or when tiny bubbles begin to move through the container.
The cabbage then sits in the brine for 12 hours, and all you have to do is flip the quarters, swishing them around in the brine again when you flip them, at least two times to ensure that they're evenly salted.
The use of bold seasonings like gochugaru and, in some regions, salted seafood, offer additional layers of complexity to the overall taste of the kimchi. With seemingly endless options for what's in kimchi, it is an incredibly diverse dish that can be made to suit nearly any palate, preference or dietary need.
Fermentation of Kimchi is carried out by various microorganisms present in the raw materials. Among lactic acid bacteria, the genera Leuconostoc, Weissella, and Lactobacillus are believed to be the key players in Kimchi fermentation.
As a way of preserving the harvest just before winter, Koreans would first salt then tightly pack their cabbages into large clay urns, burying them underground to avoid the frost. The resulting fermented product took on a delicious flavour, and Kimchi began bubbling up across the whole country.
How long does it take to make Kimchi? Allow 1 hour to prepare the kimchi and get it in the fermentation jar. Plus 4 hours waiting while the vegetables salt. It takes 5-10 days to ferment depending on room temperature.
But generally, kimchi has a tangy, spicy, and slightly sour taste, with a hint of umami flavor from the fermentation process. Some people compare kimchi's spiciness to that of hot sauce or salsa, but with a more complex and layered flavor profile.
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