At Harvest Market, we love (almost) all things fermented, which is why we were so happy to once again sponsor the Kennett Square Fermentation Festival this year.
Harvest Market’s Staff teamed up to demonstrate how to make a basic kimchi recipe. Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. It is often described as “spicy” or “sour”. In traditional preparation, Kimchi was often allowed to ferment underground in jars for months at a time. It is Korea’s national dish, and there are hundreds of varieties made with a main vegetable ingredient such as Napa cabbage, radish, scallion, or cucumber. Kimchi is also a main ingredient for many Korean dishes such as kimchi stew, kimchi pancake, kimchi soup, and kimchi fried rice. (Source: Wikipedia)
Classic Kimchi Recipe
Yields: 2 quarts
Ingredients:
1 small head organic green or Napa cabbage, shredded
2-3 large organic carrots, peeled and julienned
2 bunches organic scallions, diced
6 cloves organic garlic, minced
1 organic yellow or red bell pepper, diced
4-6 inches of organic ginger, peeled and minced
2 organic Daikon radishes, peeled and julienned
3 Tablespoons crushed organic red pepper flakes (more or less, depending on taste)
1 cup sea salt (preferably finely ground)
Place cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Cover with water and mix to dissolve salt into water, to create a brine. Allow to sit uncovered for 1-2 hours until the cabbage is wilted and has a “softer” texture. Drain off brine into a separate container and save it for later. Wash cabbage under cool water to remove excess salt.
In a 2 quart (or larger) glass container, combine the rest of the vegetables and red pepper flakes. Add washed and drained cabbage and mix well. Press the mixture down to the bottom of the container so that it is packed tightly. Combine 1 cup of cold water and 1 cup of saved brine into a bowl. This watered down brine should taste slightly less salty than ocean water. Add this to the vegetables until they are completely covered, adding more watered down brine if needed. Place a bowl of water or other weight on top of the kimchi to keep it submerged under the brine. Leave out the container, uncovered, for 3-5 days, allowing the kimchi to ferment. Then, the kimchi may be covered and stored in the refrigerator.
