Korean Kimchi Recipe

Kimchi is a famous fermented vegetable dish from Korea. Usually served as a side dish, there are more than 300 different varieties of kimchi, depending on the main vegetable ingredient used and the region or season in which they’re made.
Nowadays, you’ll see a lot of ready-to-eat kimchi brands in supermarkets, but no matter how convenient they seem to be, many of these products are often loaded with artificial flavorings, toxic fillers, and harmful additives, and have also gone through excessive processing that may have eliminated any living organism in them.
To make sure that you get the quality, the freshness, and all the health perks that you’re after, I encourage you to make your own kimchi at home using this recipe:

Ingredients: 4 cups of water 4 tablespoons sea salt 1 head cabbage, shredded 1 cup daikon radish grated or 1 cup asparagus cut into one-inch pieces 2 scallions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper Directions: In a large bowl, mix a brine of the water and salt. Mix well to thoroughly dissolve salt. Add the cabbage and daikon radish. Cover with a plate or other weight to keep the vegetables submerged. Soak for 12 hours. Drain the brine from the vegetables, reserving the brine. Taste the vegetables for saltiness. If they are too salty, you can rinse the vegetables. If they are not salty enough, sprinkle with a little more salt (one quarter teaspoon at a time). Combine the asparagus, green beans, scallions, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Add to the cabbage mixture. Put the whole mix into a jar or crock. Pour the soaking liquid over the vegetables, making sure that they are completely submerged in liquid. Tip: Don’t forget to squeeze your vegetables before putting them into the jar using your hands. "Bruising" the vegetables in this way allows the cell walls to break down and release their juices. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and set aside for three to seven days. The ideal room temperature to help with the fermentation is around 70°F. If it is colder, the fermentation takes longer. Check the kimchi daily. Make sure the vegetables stay covered in brine. After three to seven days, the kimchi will taste ripe. Once this happens, place in glass jar in the refrigerator. It will keep for months. (From Healthy Recipes for Your Nutritional Type)

Korean Kimchi Cooking Tips

1. Use only fresh and organic vegetables from your local farmer. 
2. Choose cabbages that are hard, heavy, and have densely packed leaves. The lighter, leafier varieties tend to turn into mush that doesn't ferment well.
3. Peel your vegetables to avoid getting the bitter flavor from the skin.
4. Feel free to season your ferment naturally according to your liking with bell pepper, organic Granny Smith apples, or a hot pepper like habanero (make sure you wear gloves!).
5. Add sea vegetables or seaweed to increase the mineral, vitamin, and fiber content of your fermented vegetables.
6. When adding aromatics, such as onion, garlic, and ginger, remember that fermenting increases the flavor multiple-fold, so a little goes a long way. Don't overdo it! A few medium-size cloves are enough to infuse a dozen jars or more with a mild garlic flavor.
7. Use a starter culture dissolved in celery juice to speed up the fermentation process and to ensure that your ferment gets packed with essential probiotics.
8. Make sure the veggies are completely covered with brine and that the brine is all the way to the top of the jar to eliminate trapped air.
9. Put the lids on the jars loosely, as they will expand due to the gases produced in fermentation.
10. Don’t eat out of the jar to prevent contaminating the entire batch with bacteria from your mouth. Always use a clean spoon to take out what you’re eating.

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