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
Author: Rachel Beyer
Type: Fermenting
Recipe adapted from Foodie with Family.
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
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- *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 order it online.
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- Slice the Napa cabbage in half (the long way), and cut off the core. Then slice it again into quarters.
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- From there you can chop it up into squares (about 2”-3”) and pour it into a large bowl.
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- Next julienne-cut the carrots and add them to the cabbage. (If you need a refresher on how to properly julienne, I recommend watching this video).
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- Pour the salt over the top and use your hands to massage it into the cabbage until it starts to soften and wilt.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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
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- At this point it is ready to be refrigerated and eaten! The longer it sits, the stronger the flavors will become!
Notes
I decorated my jars with custom canning labels and gift tags 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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