recipe: kimchi no7

kimchi no7

classic korean fermented vegetables w/ ginger garlic & chilli

IngredientsMakes: 2600g

275g		cone cabbage
400g		red  cabbage
450g	(3)	red peppers
60g		spring onions
245g	(3)	red onion
150g		ginger
60g		radishes
270g		carrots
35g		garlic
200g		7.5pc brine	(recipe below)
130g		ginger
35g		garlic
18g		chilli flakes
4g		sweet smoked paprika
25g		sriracha chilli sauce
30g		brown sugar
80g		7.5pc brine	(recipe below)
40g		olive oil
100g		olive oil

Method

This makes enough to fill a 1.4L and a 950ml kilner jar . . . adjust as you see fit.

I usually restart the kimchi making process when I have a third left of the 1.4L jar from the last batch and start w/ the smaller 950ml jar first . . and cycle.

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Make the brine the night before so any chlorine in the water evaporates - better for fermenting process. Or boil it and let it cool - a couple of kettles.

Make 3L of 7.5% brine - 225g salt 2775g water.

The 200g in the recipe is approximately what finally ends up in the jars.

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Prep all the ingredients up to the ginger the same way: top tail, peel, remove unwanted bit etc & shred.

Shape & texture makes a difference both to taste & presentation. For the ginger I like to super thinly slice it with a mandolin, then super fine julienne half of it, leaving you with discs & shreds - gives delicate bursts of ginger, and sometimes broad long lasting strokes on the palette a carnival of flavour! I like the carrots as discs. Run the rest through the finest disc cutter you have on your food processor - or the mandolin.

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Place all the shredded bits in a large bowl and cover w/ 3L of brine top w/ a plate to keep veg submerged.

Leave for 12hours / over night. Next taste the veg, if the veg is not salty enough leave it to brine for longer. If too salty rinse w/ fresh water & drain.

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Next the flavouring . . . make this while the veg is curing overnight.

To make the flavouring put the peeled & coarsley chopped ginger & peeled garlic into a food processor and blend to sugar granule consistency then add the chilli flakes, smoked paprika, sriracha chilli sauce, sugar, brine & 40g of olive oil, blend a little more, decant into a tub and leave until the rest of the veg has done brining.

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Next day . . . w/ a colander & pot drain the veg, keep the brine.

Place the veg into a large mixing bowl and add the flavouring, get your hands in there - gloves on if you want - and make sure every shred is coated w/ sauce.

Pack the mix into the two kilner jars - leave at least a quarter for expansion - and top w/ brine. Insert a gauze to keep the veg submerged - I used a pizzamesh, which I would never use for pizza, but make a great inert gauze to keep your kimchi under the waterline and stop it molding while it ferments.

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Leave an inch of brine over the top of the veg and pour the last 100g of olive oil - 50g per jar - over the top to stop mold growing - belt and braces you wont see this in most kimchi recipes but it helps, plus it adds a coat of olive oil goodness every time you extract some kimchi so extending you life span if any of the bluezone research is right!! ; )

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It's good to eat straight away and you should taste it as it develops, it'll start to ferment propper after about 1 week or two, press it back into the kilner jars w/ a couple of spoons to release the gas, it'll calm down after a month or two and will be good for 6 months or more - remove any mold above the oil line with a kitchen towel to keep it in good condition.

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Great seasoning and good for your microbiome. My understanding is fibre is like a raft for gut micorbiota, the more you consume with them the further thay can travel into your gut, open to more info in the comments!

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That aside this spicey ginger vegetable goodness can bump all sorts of food to a new level! : )

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I usually fill a honey jar w/ some and keep it in the fridge leaving the rest to ferment on the counter.

This minimises the mold maintenace required for the main fermenting jars. . . in the background a green tomato chutney made at the Growing Local volunteer day - every Tuesday South Belmont . . . it's rather good!!!

7.5pc brine

7.5% brine - salt solution

IngredientsMakes: 3000g

2775g		water
225g		salt

Method

Add the salt to the water and stirr iuntil it has dissolved.

Depending on what you are using the brine for it's often best if any chlorine in the water has been allowed evaporate off.

You can leave the water to stand in an open bowl for 24hrs, or you can bring the water to the boil and then let it cool down.

Pretty simple stuff really.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local for great locally produced veg using organic practices well worth signing up for!