kim chi convert

Prompted by an excess of cabbages, and following Claudia's great example, have been exploring homemade kim chi. Now onto my second batch, with the first batch pictured here. Googling has thrown up lots of recipes, suggestions, and tips, and the confidence to mix and match ingredients, which apparently is 'traditional'. Also threw up a scientific article declaring kim chi one of the world's five healthiest foods.

Apart from cabbage, things like radish, spring onion, carrot etc are suggested, and apart from chili, garlic and ginger and some kind or other of vinegar, various possible spicings and flavourings.

This first batch included (red) radishes and spring onions. The second batch, given pressure to finish it off quickly, is just cabbage, and still fine, but I did splurge on ricewine vinegar for that batch. The red radishes gave this first batch a pink tinge, so I've planted (and could now harvest) white radishes, and still have two cabbages I could harvest for the next batch. Have also planted chinese cabbages, so they'll be even more 'authentic' if I turn them into kim chi.

In Korea this is apparently eaten as part of breakfast, lunch and tea. I'm dipping into it regularly, including a dollop of it in brothy, Asian-y soups, stirred through Asian noodles for a quick meal, and just dipping in direct with chopsticks for a little snack or appetiser. Am imagining all the good it's doing me, with those superhealthy ingredients.

So here's the first batch being made:

Start with your cabbage ...

cut it into quarters ..

and wash it.

Drain.

 

Then salt it and weight it down to press and drain for 24 hours.

And finally, unillustrated, assemble it in its airtight jar with flavourings, liquid and any additional veg, using chopsticks to shake/drain cabbage and then assemble packed tight in its jar.