Homemade Kimchi Recipe
Kimchi fried rice is a weekly staple at my house. It’s quick, easy and delicious (try this recipe). We can’t get enough of the spicy, aromatic fermented cabbage. We love it as a side dish to any Asian-faire food and even with eggs for breakfast! Getting tired of buying jars of kimchi at the grocery store, I decided it was high time I tried making my own.
A few fun facts about kimchi:
- Kimchi is low-calorie, high fiber and packed with nutrients.
- It’s rich in vitamins including vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin C.
- Kimchi is also rich in amino acids and minerals such as iron, calcium, and selenium.
- It is an antioxidant and contains lots of probiotics.
- For more info about the health benefits of kimchi visit organicfacts.net
Homemade Kimchi
Recipe Type: Fermenting
Author:
Recipe adapted from [url href=”http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/easy-fast-kimchi-mak-kimchi/” target=”_blank”]Foodie with Family[/url].
Ingredients
- 3-8 pounds Napa cabbage (I used 2 heads about 3lbs each)
- 2 bunches green onions, roots trimmed
- 2-3 large carrots, peeled, thinly julienned
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup *Korean chili powder
- 15-20 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4-6 inches ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Unsweetened pear juice (or unsweetened apple juice)
- 4 tablespoons red or white miso paste
Instructions
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi1.jpg” width=”680″ height=”775″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- *Korean chili powder is completely different from Mexican or American chili powder (so no substitutions!). Make a trip to your local Asian or international market and look for Korean red pepper powder. You can also [url href=”http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OJUSZE/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?tag=foowitfam-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B005OJUSZE&adid=0AWQ8GJZKGV2XPM0P6FH&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foodiewithfamily.com%2Feasy-fast-kimchi-mak-kimchi%2F” target=”_blank”]order it online[/url].
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi2.jpg” width=”680″ height=”923″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”kimchi2″][/url]
- Slice the Napa cabbage in half (the long way), and cut off the core. Then slice it again into quarters.
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi3.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- From there you can chop it up into squares (about 2”-3”) and pour it into a large bowl.
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi4.jpg” width=”680″ height=”886″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | evermine blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- Next julienne-cut the carrots and add them to the cabbage. (If you need a refresher on how to properly julienne, I recommend watching [url href=”http://www.marthastewart.com/967591/how-julienne-carrots#967591″ target=”_blank”]this video[/url]).
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi5.jpg” width=”680″ height=”954″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- Pour the salt over the top and use your hands to massage it into the cabbage until it starts to soften and wilt.
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi6.jpg” width=”680″ height=”940″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- Cover with cold, chlorine-free water and let soak for at least 1.5 hours.
- Pour the cabbage/carrot mix into a colander to drain the brine. Then transfer back to the large bowl and set aside.
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi7.jpg” width=”680″ height=”875″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- Now it’s time for the fun part! First cut off the white parts of the green onions (reserving the green parts for later) and throw them into a food processor along with the garlic, ginger, miso paste and Korean chili powder.
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi8.jpg” width=”680″ height=”872″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- Pulse until it’s relatively smooth then add the fish sauce and a few tablespoons of pear juice. Pulse again to incorporate. The result should be a red-hot chili paste.
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi9.jpg” width=”680″ height=”933″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- Next, chop up the reserved green onions and add them to the carrot/cabbage mix. Pour the chili paste combo over the top, and then wearing gloves, massage the paste into the cabbage mix until fully mixed and incorporated.
- Pack into canning jars. Really cram it in there! Then place the lid over the top without screwing it on. Place the jars onto a rimmed baking sheet or dish and let it sit at room temperature for 72 hours, until bubbly and fragrant (the baking sheet/dish will catch any drips that might bubble over). Once a day, insert a clean butter knife into the jars to release any air bubbles. If needed, pour in some **extra brine to keep all the vegetables submerged.
- ** To make extra brine combine 1 cup warm, chlorine-free water with 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- [img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi10.jpg” width=”680″ height=”850″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
- At this point it is ready to be refrigerated and eaten! The longer it sits, the stronger the flavors will become!
- [url href=”https://www.evermine.com/labels/MO-50/”][img src=”https://bdn.evermine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kimchi12.jpg” width=”680″ height=”453″ class=”alignnone size-full” title=”Homemade Kimchi Recipe | Evermine Blog | www.evermine.com”][/url]
Notes
I decorated my jars with custom [url href=”https://www.evermine.com/canning_labels/preview/SPMO11-46/” target=”_blank”]canning labels[/url] and [url href=”https://www.evermine.com/canning_hang-tags/preview/HTMO88-46/” target=”_blank”]gift tags[/url] in the style Morocco.
Used In This Project:
- Circle Labels • I chose the “Morocco” style in orange.
- Fancy Diamond Hang Tags • I chose the “Morocco” style in orange.
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