Kimchi

I don’t really fall into the camp of people who love spicy food so this recipe is a less spicy version of kimchi. If you want it hotter, just add more pepper flakes. I like it best with daikon but you can use any radish in it’s place if daikon are hard to find in your area.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coarse sea salt
• 1/4 gallon of water
• 1 big nappa cabbage
• 1/4 cup red pepper flakes
• 1/2 up of shredded daikon or red radishes
• 1/4 cup of shredded carrots
• 3 scallions, sliced thin lengthwise
• 1/2 head of garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

Preparation

1. In a big, deep bowl, dissolve the sea salt in water to make the brine.
2. Rinse the cabbage, cut off the stalk end, cut in half, and submerge in the brine. Place a plate or pot lid over the submerged cabbage to keep it submerged in the brine. Let sit for 6-8 hours at room temperature.
3. Remove the cabbage from the brine, place in a strainer, and let drain for 15-30 minutes. Save one cup of the brine liquid from the bowl and pour out the rest. Combine the remaining ingredients together in the bring bowl and mix well.
4. Chop the cabbage into 1-2 pieces and add them to the bowl. Mix thoroughly.
5. Transfer the cabbage mix to a half gallon jar or crock. Using a tamper, potato masher or your hands, press down firmly until well-compacted. Slowly add reserved brine until the vegetables are submerged. Cover with weights, a small plate, or a plastic bag filled with water.
6. Set aside to ferment for a week or two. After a week, once the cabbage begins to look semi-translucent and the brine turns orange-y, you can move it to the refrigerator. Serve with anything!

Notes

This recipe is adapted from Kristen and Christopher Shockey’s most excellent Fermented Vegetables book. I highly recommend this book as a resource for pickling in general. Loads of info for pickling newbies (with helpful pictures) and recipes to pickle almost anything anything.