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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
[/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 order it online.
[/url]- Slice the Napa cabbage in half (the long way), and cut off the core. Then slice it again into quarters.
[/url]- From there you can chop it up into squares (about 2”-3”) and pour it into a large bowl.
[/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 this video).
[/url]- Pour the salt over the top and use your hands to massage it into the cabbage until it starts to soften and wilt.
[/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.
[/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.
[/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.
[/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
[/url]- 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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Rachel Beyer is an artist, designer and creative maker based in Portland, OR. She loves crafting, party planning and illustration. Rachel runs her own creative blog, Adventures In Making and also has a line of greeting cards, art prints and handmade goodies called Camp Smartypants.
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