Kimchi O-So-Easy! Holiday Gift

Kimchi is made with the hope of healing the world!

(One gut at a time)

A traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables: napa cabbage, Korean radishes, and seasonings 🔥 . Totally natural and oddly delicious.

Holiday Gift Ideas 🎉 🌟 🎁

How to Make Simple Vegan Kimchi

There are over a hundred different kinds of Kimchi recipes! The recipe for mak kimchi, or simple kimchi is a great place to start. Yield: 1 quart.

Simple Kimchi

  • Servings: 1 quart
  • Difficulty: medium-easy
  • Print

INGREDIENTS
1 medium head napa cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup iodine-free sea salt or kosher salt
Water, preferably distilled or filtered
1 tablespoon grated garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce (or salted shrimp paste, or 3 tablespoons water) to taste
1 to 5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
8 ounces Korean radish or daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks -optional
4 medium scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup julienned carrot (about 1 small -adds colour you can add julienned red cabbage)
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the cabbage. Cut the cabbage lengthwise through the stem into quarters. Cut the cores from each piece. Cut each quarter crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips.
2. Salt the cabbage. Place the cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Using your hands, massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit. Add enough water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top of the cabbage and weigh it down with something heavy, like a jar or can of beans. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours.
Rinse and drain the cabbage. Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times. Set aside to drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the spice paste.
3. Make the spice paste. Rinse and dry the bowl you used for salting. Add the garlic, ginger, sugar, and fish sauce, shrimp paste, or water and stir into a smooth paste. Stir in the gochugaru, using 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy (I like about 3 1/2 tablespoons); set aside until the cabbage is ready.
4. Combine the vegetables and spice paste. Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and add it to the spice paste. Add the radish and scallions.
Pack the kimchi into the jar. Pack the kimchi into a 1-quart jar. Press down on the kimchi until the brine (the liquid that comes out) rises to cover the vegetables, leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top. Seal the jar.
5. Let it ferment for 1 to 5 days. Place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow. Let the jar stand at cool room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 1 to 5 days. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid.
6. Check it daily and refrigerate when ready. Check the kimchi once a day, opening the jar and pressing down on the vegetables with a clean finger or spoon to keep them submerged under the brine. (This also releases gases produced during fermentation.) Taste a little at this point, too! When the kimchi tastes ripe enough for your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. You may eat it right away, but it’s best after another week or two.

Kimchi ~ Dos and Don’ts

Rely on your own sense of smell and taste and you’ll end up with a fine batch. A word of caution: too much garlic can make the kimchi bitter, and too much ginger can make it sticky. Adjust the amount of other spices to your liking. Kimchi can be mild or fiery, it’s your choice. I have received all kinds of opinions. Some cooks swear by a little bit of sugar, others completely shun sweeteners. There are people who include carrots and there are people who wrinkle their noses at the idea.

25 Fermented Recipes

Want to Eat More Fermented Foods? Here Are 25 Recipes You’ve Got to Try.

Kimchi Grilled Cheese

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 slices Sour Dough Bread
  • ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
  • ¼ cup Kimchi (fine chop)
  • 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter

MY FAVORITE KIMCHI: Leftover water melon rind – (pictured above) – Watermelon rind contains citrulline, which is loaded with antioxidant properties that convert to arginine, an essential amino acid. Arginine is great for the heart, immune system and circulatory system.). Add seeds such as chia, black sesame or pumpkin seeds. You choose. Add the watermelon rind – include the green part. Delicious! I like adding cumin seeds and maybe mustard seed and turmeric.

Storage

If you are planning to keep it in a fridge, make sure that all of its ingredients are fully covered in the brine before you reseal it.

Kimchi can last 3–6 months in the refrigerator. It continues to ferment as it matures, though, becoming more acidic and softer. So, If you prefer a milder flavor or crunchier texture, you may want to eat up your kimchi before 3 months. 

Napa cabbage: A broom that sweeps {your system} clean. Kimchi: Contains protease, lipase, and amylase enzymes making it good for breaking down and absorbing protein, fat, and carbs.

The beneficial power of kimchi comes from vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamine (B 1 ), riboflavin (B 2 ), calcium, and iron. According to some researchers, the antioxidants, and the lactic acid bacteria in kimchi helps with digestion, heart disease and diabetes. Good in a weight loss plan and clear skin. Kimchi boosts your immune system.

David Chang adds sugar to his kimchi along with salty shrimp. Making authentic kimchi with sugar – helps in the fermentation and acts as a preservative and improves the flavour. The probiotics actually consume sugar during fermentation.

David Chang: Chef and Owner of Momofuku, New York

Kimchi hot dogs!

Kimchi pairs well with fried rice, dumplings, and summer rolls, or, ahem, straight out of the jar.

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17 thoughts on “Kimchi O-So-Easy! Holiday Gift”

  4. Seoul Sister says:
    Reply

    I love your posts but this one especially! I’ve started making homemade kimchee and I like being able to personalize it vs buy it. Thanks for adding the health benefits and tips. I add apple cider vinegar to my recipe.

    Liked by 1 person

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