This is an easy recipe but an involved recipe - your hands will get dirty. But the colours and aroma are just too good to not try. Leave a comment below and let me know how your batch turns out. Recipe inspired by My New Roots. If you haven't check it out, I suggest you do... tell her Lunch Lady Lou sent you!
Fermenting time (leave in a dark space): 5 daysdays
Author: Lunch Lady Lou
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Equipment
1 large 3L glass jar (or a few small ones around 500mL)
1 large bowl
knife + cutting board
mortar and pestle
Ingredients
2cabbage1.5 - 2 kg total weight
1daikon radish
5large carrots
1bunch spring onionsabout 7
2apples or pears
70gfresh ginger
5clovesgarlic
1/3cupcrushed red chili flakes
¼cupgood-quality sea salt
¼cupfish sauce
Instructions
Wash all veggies. Chop cabbage into bite-sized chunks, julienne or grate carrots, daikon, and apple. Slice green onion. Place all vegetables in a very large bowl.
In a mortar and pestle blend ginger, garlic, and chilli until well combined. Add this mixture to the bowl of vegetables along with the salt.
Mix and vigorously massage all ingredients together until the cabbage begins to soften and release fluid. Continue until you have a fair amount of liquid in the bottom of the bowl, about 4-5 minutes. The vegetables at this point should have lost much of their volume. Let the bowl sit out at room temperature for a few hours, massaging once or twice more. Season to taste.
In a large, sterilised jar (or several small ones), pack in the vegetables trying to avoid any air pockets. Make sure you cover the kimchi with the brine or top up with water to ensure it's fully submerged. As you fill your jars, leave a few inches of space at the top of the jar for the kimchi to expand.
Cover the jar with a loosely with a lid, or make sure to open it periodically to release any pressure that may build up.
Leave the jar on the counter for around 3 -5 days. The time to leave on the bench/in cupboard will depend on the weather. In warmer temperatures (over 24C) the fermentation process will happen faster. The longer you leave it out the stronger it tastes. You may see bubbles forming in the jar – this is carbon dioxide and totally normal.
Open the jar everyday to let the carbon dioxide out. Taste the kimchi everyday and notice how it deepens in flavour and really takes hold by day 3. Once the flavour is to your liking, seal the jar and place in the fridge. Keeps for several months.
Tip: After removing kimchi from the container to eat, push the remaining back down to keep most of the cabbage submerged in the brine (the liquid). This will help keep it fresh for longer.