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Easy Kimchi

A beginner’s guide to fermenting kimchi!

Servings

3~4 jars worth

Prep Time:

20~25 min.

Ferment for:

3~5 days

Good For:

Side dishes

Introduction

Easy Kimchi

I’ve gotten a few requests to share my kimchi recipe! This is one of the “hobbies” I picked up this year – I don’t know why but I find it so relaxing . I suppose right now anything that’s not chasing after our two toddlers is relaxing.

The hubby and I (and now our toddler) eat soooo much kimchi – so good for gut health plus it’s yum – so I decided to make our own starting this fall instead of buying from the grocery store. It’s cool how it ferments in just 3 days and is so delicious yet easy!

Here are some tips:

💧 Make sure to use bottled water as chlorinated tap might not allow the kimchi to ferment well.

🥕 I added too big carrot chunks to my first kimchi and the carrot flavor was overpowering. Thinly shaved / sliced carrots work best!

⚠️ Release air from the jars every day while they’re out at room temperature so that the bottles don’t explode!

vegan eggnog eat with meraki
Ingredients
  • Hakusai (Napa / Chinese cabbage), 1 head
  • Bottled water, enough to submerge chopped Napa cabbage
  • Sea salt, 1/4 cup
  • Daikon (Japanese radish), 1/2
  • Carrot, 1
  • Thin green onion / thin leek, 1
  • Garlic, 2~3 cloves
  • Ginger, 2 in. long 
  • Rice flour, 3 tbsp.
  • Water, 1 cup
  • Yellow (regular) miso, 2 tbsp.
  • Fish sauce, 1 tbsp.
  • Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 1 cup
Chop up hakusai into bite-sized chunks.
Place chopped up hakusai in a bowl and fully submerge with bottled water and salt. Taste as you go – the water should taste salty.
Brine for 12 hours. Make sure it’s completely submerged – if the cabbage is floating, put clear wrap over the bowl and place another bowl with something heavy in it so that the cabbage is fully submerged.
Drain and squeeze the water out of the cabbage after 12 hours. You’ll be surprised at how much the cabbage would’ve shrunk!
Add cubed daikon, thinly shaved / sliced carrots, diced garlic and ginger and chopped green onion.
Simmer rice flour and water (1 cup) over medium to low heat until you get a paste.
Remove from heat and add gochugaru flakes, miso and fish sauce and mix well.
My favorite part! Massage the paste evenly throughout your vegetables and make sure it’s all covered well with your kimchi paste. Spare no veggie!
Sterilize jars (I usually just pour boiling water into some jars).
Place your kimchi into your jars. Leave some room at the top to allow for the gas produced during fermentation to escape and prevent the jar from exploding (had a near accident once).
Store your kimchi in a dark cool spot for 3~5 days. Release air everyday so that your bottles don’t explode. You’ll start to hear a fizz after Day 3 or so!
Refrigerate to slow down the fermentation process. Enjoy!

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