We’ve received so many requests for our kimchi recipe that we’re finally bringing it to the blog. We hope you’ll enjoy this flavorful delight as much as we enjoy making it.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 napa cabbage
6 black Spanish radishes
2 bunches of carrots
1 large leek
3/4 cup sea salt
2 medium heads of garlic
1 3” piece of ginger
1 shallot
3 fresh chili or 2 tbsp chili powder (if fresh is not available)
2 tbsp fish sauce
Supplies:
large bowl
plate
blender
Gallon glass jar or crock
1) Chop all vegetables to desired sizes. We like to slice our radishes in thin circular shapes and julienne the carrots. This provides a nice variety of texture. If you have any other root vegetables hanging around, shop them up and throw them in too. Kimchi is a really fun recipe to get creative with.
2) Make a nice ‘n’ salty brine. Dilute 3/4 cup of salt in a gallon of purified or spring water.
3) Put all of your veggies together in a big bowl (or two if needed – we use a 5 gallon food grade bucket). Pour your brine over the vegetables, so they are immersed in the water. Use a plate with a large enough surface to weigh your vegetables below the brine.
4) Allow vegetables to soak for 6-12 hours. In the meanwhile, make the paste for your kimchi, as described below.
5) Peel garlic, ginger, and shallot. Chop into smaller pieces and toss into your blender bowl. Add chili or chili powder – we use whatever chili is our favorite at the time. Also, whatever we have access to. We love chili powders that are dried and blended by master organic farmers – sometimes containing up to three different chili. Add fish sauce (additive & preservative free) if you so desire. Blend the ingredients and marvel at your kimchi paste. Take a taste – it will be intense. Put aside until your vegetables are done soaking.
* We make a lot of kimchi, so we blend a large batch of paste (x3) and keep it in cold storage for future batches.
6) After your soak is done, strain brine from vegetables. They should be nice and salty. Add the paste and to your veggies and distribute it evenly, thoroughly covering your veggies with the spicy goodness.
7) Pack your pre-kimchi into a glass gallon jar or ceramic crock. Make sure to pack until a nice brine comes forth and your veggies are immersed. Use a weight to keep your veggies under the brine.
8) Wait one week and try your kimchi. It should be delicious (seriously, kimchi is delicious even before it’s fermented). We ferment our kimchi for one month, since we’re obsessed with the intense fermented flavor. You can do the same or you can take it off after a week.
9) Keep in cold storage when it’s reached desired flavor and enjoy for up to 6 months, 12 months, a few years? Let yourself be the judge, Send us pictures if you’re so inclined!
Tara shows off kimchi at the Midweek Market in Starkville, MS