I have always been intrigued in Korean culture, lifestyle and food. Today I will use this opportunity to make Kimchi for the very first time.
The raw food product that will be used in this recipe is Napa Cabbage.
The technique used to turn the cabbage into Kimchi is fermentation.
Throughout the making of kimchi, I have already come across 2 out of 3 biggest fermenting mistakes.
Mistake 1: Refrigerating your ferment 3-10 days after you pack your jar.
This is my biggest mistake of all. I misread the recipe and thought that I had to refrigerate my kimchi right after making it! (Terrible mistake, yes I know.) Thankfully, I caught this mistake not too long into the process and making of my kimchi (only left it in the fridge for half an hour).
Not leaving your kimchi to ferment on your counter longer before transferring to cold storage is a huge mistake. If you want maximum probiotics in your sauerkraut (and I think we all do!), you’ll want to let your ferment go through the three stages of fermentation.
Temperature and the amount of salt plays a big role in fermentation. Kimchi usually has to sit in room temperature (65-72F) for 3-7 days but other sources say that fermenting Kimchi at *41-50F) for 15-20 days results in the most tasty Kimchi.
“Refrigeration slows down food spoilage; I think we all know this. In the case of fermenting, you are also slowing down the bacterial action. The LABs (lactic-acid producing bacteria) dislike cold, and they cannot truly thrive in it (read: prolifically reproduce). So, you want to leave your sauerkraut out a minimum of four weeks to give time for your sauerkraut to go through all three bacteria stages.
Remember, fermentation is a method of preserving food. Leaving it on your counter gives it more time for the LAB activity to increase — which, in turn, lowers pH — and prevents spoilage. As long as your jar can keep out the oxygen, you shouldn’t be worried.”
Mistake 2: Not using a jar that keeps out the oxygen.
Of course I have thought about this while shopping for my Kimchi ingredients and have also pondered about what to leave my Kimchi in as well (container wise). I settled down with an airtight sealed plastic container. Most people who make Kimchi use either Mason jars or traditional underground jars.
“Oxygen is the enemy when it comes to ferments. LABs prefer an anaerobic (oxygen-less) environment, and our goal is to keep those little guys happy, right? Aerobically (with oxygen) the yeasts in your ferment can be oxidized to form acetic acid (vinegar), which is not what we’re making here. Yes, you want some tang, but you can achieve tang without vinegar. The candida-preventing yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has the ability to shift from fermentative to oxidative depending on the level of oxygen available. Keep the oxygen out, and this friendly yeast can help your guts heal.
So how do you know if your jar is keeping out enough oxygen? There are a few red flags that can tell us: browned cabbage, yeasty odor, pink cabbage, slime, and mold (we’ll come back to mold in a bit).”
Mistake 3: Scraping away mold and thinking it will not harm you.
Although i did not experience this mistake, it is also good to know and learn that if it molds in anyway, it is no longer good.
Mold can make you sick, very sick. Some people show symptoms right away; others end up with mold sensitivities or other gut issues that evolve over time. It’s just not a risk I am willing to take.
Make sure to keep your tools, hands and station clean! Remember, the key to fermentation is to welcome the growth of good bacteria and prevent bad bacteria.
Here is the chosen recipe:
Prep time: 3-4hours // Ready in: 2days-4weeks (can vary, depends on you)
Makes about 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of Kimchi
6 pounds napa cabbage (3 to 4 heads of medium napa cabbage)
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour)
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (brown or white sugar)
2 cups radish matchsticks
7 to 8 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped Asian chives (buchu), optional (substitute with 3 green onions, chopped)
1 cup water dropwort (minari), optional
½ cup garlic cloves (24 garlic cloves), minced
2 teaspoon ginger, minced
¼ cup fermented salted shrimp (saeujeot) with the salty brine, chopped
2 cups hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
Prepare and salt the cabbage:
If the cabbage cores stick out too much, trim them off.
To split a cabbage in half without shredding the densely packed leaves inside, first cut a short slit in the base of the cabbage, enough to get a grip on either half, and then gently pull the halves apart so the cabbage splits open.
Cut a slit through the core of each half, 2 inches above the stem. You want the cabbage leaves to be loose but still attached to the core.
Dunk the halves in a large basin of water to get them wet. Sprinkle the salt between the leaves by lifting up every leaf and getting salt in there. Use more salt closer to the stems, where the leaves are thicker.
Let the cabbages rest for 2 hours. Turn over every 30 minutes, so they get well salted. From time to time you can ladle some of the salty water from the bottom of the basin over top of the cabbages if you want to.
After 2 hours, wash the cabbage halves a few times under cold running water. Giving them a good washing, to remove the salt and any dirt. As you wash, split the halves into quarters along the slits you cut into earlier. Cut off the cores, and put them in a strainer over a basin so they can drain well.
While the cabbage is salting for 2 hours, and in between the times you’re turning it over, you can make the porridge:
Combine the water and the sweet rice flour in a small pot. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until it starts to bubble. Add the sugar and cook 1 more minute, stirring. Remove from the heat and let it cool off completely.
Pour cooled porridge into a large mixing bowl. Add garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, fermented salted shrimp, and hot pepper flakes. Mix well with the wooden spoon until the mixture turns into a thin paste.
Add the radish, carrot, and green onion, plus the Asian chives (or more green onions) and the water dropwort if you’re using them. Mix well.
Spread some kimchi paste on each cabbage leaf. When every leaf in a quarter is covered with paste, wrap it around itself into a small packet, and put into your jar, plastic container, or onggi.
Eat right away, or let it sit for a few days to ferment.
The kimchi will start fermenting a day or two at room temperature, depending on the temperature and humidity of your room. The warmer and more humid it is, the faster the kimchi will ferment. Once it starts to ferment it will smell and taste sour, and pressing on the top of the kimchi with a spoon will release bubbles from beneath.
Once it starts to fermented, store in the refrigerator to use as needed. This slows down the fermentation process, which will make the kimchi more and more sour as time goes on.
During the process of making the Kimchi, there were many times I had caught myself “taste testing”. The Kimchi is very salty and tasted like the ocean. During the fermenting process, the salt eased down (became not so salty like the ocean) and was replaced with a sweet, sour and tangy flavour. Although during the process of making the Kimchi, there was sweet rice flour and sugar added but did not become very evident after the fermentation process. The sweetness was mild, the sour and spicy flavour was much more evident.
The final product of Kimchi had 5 ingredients that stood out the most while biting into and chewing it: garlic, onions, ginger, salt and hot pepper spice.
Before the fermentation process, the kimchi had a much lighter red stain to the cabbage. During and after the fermentation process, the colour grew much darker and duller.
It has a very strong smell of all the spices used. The most prominent ingredient that stood out was the garlic.
Although there were many mistakes made during the process of making Kimchi, the experience, time and effort was well worth it. “Practice makes improvement” definitely applies to this experience as well.
Overall, I believe my first creation of Kimchi alone (without help) is very successful. There were a few ingredients that were missed in the recipe (couldn’t find them anywhere I looked) that could and would have made a difference to the overall texture, taste and fermentation of the Kimchi. I will be sure to retrieve all the proper ingredients for this traditional kimchi recipe and learn from my many mistakes. Instead of using granulated sugar, I would have liked to use brown sugar for a richer and sweeter taste.
Michaelis, Kristen. (2012, July) The 3 biggest fermenting mistakes you’re already making – Food renegade. Retrieved from http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/
Maangchi. (2014, June 22). Traditional Napa Cabbage kimchi recipe – Maangchi.com. Retrieved from http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/tongbaechu-kimchi
Park, Grace & Best Joshua. (2013) How to make Kimchi, Napa Cabbage Kimchi Recipe, Spicy Pickled Napa Cabbage | Crazy Korean Cooking. Retrieved from http://crazykoreancooking.com/recipe/kimchi-spicy-pickled-cabbage
