Korean Kimchi
Healthy Home-made Fermenting
Hippocrates said, ‘all dis-ease begins in the gut.’ Well it seems that many leading health authorities, would agree with him! Your gut is home to millions of bacteria and micro-organisms that help us digest our food, provide protection from infection, regulate our metabolism and make a range of vitamins available to us.
On the weekend I was lucky enough to attend a workshop run by Kylie Nation on Healthy Fermenting. Below you will find a simple recipe we made that you can do at home, that won’t break the bank and will promote a healthy digestive system, packed full of Probiotics!
Basic Korean Kimchi Recipe – makes 3 x 750ml jars
Recipe Courtesy of Kylie Nation, author of The Lion that swallowed the Sun.
Ingredients
1/2 green cabbage
1/2 red cabbage
1/2 red capsicum
2 medium carrots
Half medium sweet potato
Small green cucumber
1 teaspoon fermenting salt per kg of vegetables
2cm knob of ginger, finely chopped
1 red chilli
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion
1 teaspoon organic turmeric powder
1/4 cup pulse seaweed flakes
1 dose of Fermented Vegetable Starter Culture
Method
1. Finely chop all vegetables, reserving some bigger cabbage leaves.
2. Place chopped veggies in glass or steel bowl and massage with salt for 5 – 10 minutes.
3. In a small dish of filtered water add a dose of starter culture, mix well. Add this to the chopped vegetables.
4. Stuff vegetable mix into your jars, pressing down to remove any air pockets. Cover with filtered water.
5. Fold one of the cabbage leaves into a small shape and use it to weigh down the vegetables and keep them submerged.
6. Place the lid on the jars, cover with a tea towel and place jars in a container (to catch juices that escape during the fermentation).
7. Keep the jars at room temperature until you are happy with the taste (after 7 – 10 days).
8. It is normal for the jar to start bubbling, especially in the first 1 – 3 days. This is a sign of healthy fermentation.
9. When it has reached a taste you like, remove cabbage leaf/weight, press contents down to ensure they stay submerged and place jar in fridge to slow the fermentation process.
Enjoy a spoonful of the Kimchi with each meal or your salad for Healthy Digestion!
Heidi Freier 