Make kimchi yourself – the recipe

© ZDG/nigelcrane

With this recipe we will show you how you can ferment your vegetables into kimchi and thus preserve them. However, it is not just about the shelf life, because the fermented vegetables from Korean cuisine are also healthy! Kimchi contains a wealth of active enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and ensures a healthy intestinal flora. In addition, kimchi tastes incomparably good and is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients for 1 jar (1 liter capacity)

For the kimchi

• 250 g carrots – peel and coarsely grate
• 200 g white cabbage – wash thoroughly and cut into strips
• 150 g savoy cabbage – wash thoroughly and cut into strips
• 60 g radish – peel and cut into slices
• 10 g ginger – cut into thin slices
• 1 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
• 1 teaspoon nori seaweed – pulverize 1 seaweed leaf in a blender; pour the rest into a sealable jar for storage
• ½ tsp coconut blossom sugar
• 15 g crystal salt

Nutritional values per glass

calories 191 calories
carbohydrates 14g
Protein 4g
Fat 2g

Preparation

Time to prepare:

preparation time 25 minutes
cooking/baking time 5 minutes

Step 1

Prepare the ingredients.

Step 2

Fill the mason jar with boiling water and set aside; wash your hands thoroughly and use gloves, because poor hygiene can spoil the vegetables.

Put all the vegetables in a bowl together with all the remaining ingredients and knead vigorously with your hands for 5 – 10 minutes until the vegetable juice runs out.

The vegetables should later be completely covered with this juice in the glass.

Step 3

If not enough juice has escaped, leave the whole thing to stand for another 15 minutes and then knead thoroughly again.

The vegetables should be a bit too salty because the fermentation significantly reduces the salty taste.

Step 4

Then pour the water out of the jar and let it drain well.

Press the vegetables down vigorously with your fist or with a small glass so that the liquid is pushed to the top.

The vegetables should be completely covered with the juice at the end, so the jar is placed upside down in the jar before sealing.

Step 5

There must still be about 3 cm of space above the vegetables, which is given by using a small glass, because the gases released by the fermentation process need this space.

Step 6

Finally, close the jar airtight and leave it to ferment at room temperature in a dark place for about 5 days.

However, the jar must be opened once a day to allow the gases to escape and the vegetables to be pressed down again.

Step 7

After 5 – 6 days, put the jar in the fridge for storage; this stops the fermentation process and the kimchi can now be kept for a few months.

Step 8

You can flavour the kimchi with your choice of spices or herbs; however, the amount of salt should always be 2-4 percent of the vegetable weight.

Tip: You can also let the vegetables ferment longer – the longer, the more intense the sour taste and the longer they will keep.

Recommended Products

The Whole Foodies Native Cashews Sea Salt (70g) combine wild harvested cashews that are dry roasted in the skins and lightly seasoned with kimchi and sea salt. This simple but delicious snack tastes delicious and benefits from being dairy free, gluten free and suitable for vegans. Available in a convenient resealable pouch to retain freshness.

This guide includes in-depth instruction for making kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles and then offers more than 120 recipes using the same methods to make over 80 other fermented vegetable and herbs, including pickled Brussels sprouts, curried golden beets, carrot kraut, and pickled green coriander.