Sweet:
Our second crop of strawberries is coming on, not too many yet but they are of nice size and flavor. The ones above ended up in a smoothie...it was good.
Spicy:
I have been busy making our version of kimchi, the latest batch consisted of cucumbers, green beans, carrots, various cabbage, Tuscan kale, kohlrabi, Italian chicory, red amaranth leaves, onions, garlic, chives, green onions, green & black peppers (would have liked to have had some red peppers for color), and was flavored with spicy red pepper powder, paprika powder, plus a few tablespoons of grated ginger.
For every five pounds of processed veggies I added a very light 3 tablespoons of sea salt. The cabbage is mixed with the salt and pounded to release juices. I then included the rest of the veggies and spices, mixed well and packed into a crock, keeping the ingredients weighted down for approximately a week. One cup of water was also used in order to have enough brine to cover everything. Seven days later I transferred the fermented deliciousness into glass jars...15 lbs of veggies made 1 gallon plus a quart.
This can either be kept in a cool root cellar or one's refrigerator. Since I had to make it early this year in order to incorporate fresh green beans and cucumbers into the mix it is being stored in the refrigerator as the root cellar is not quite cold enough yet...last year our kimchi and sauerkraut stored well in the root cellar from October through May at which time I put the remaining jars in our refrigerator. It will easily keep over a year this way, we are still working to finish off last year's kimchi and it tastes just fine.
In looking at these jars I am reminded that a piece of wax paper should be added in order to keep the lids from corroding or rusting...oops.:) Also, after the first week or so in storage we always have to add a little more brine to keep everything covered.
Does anyone else enjoy the bold flavors of kimchi?
36 comments:
Mr H - I've never tasted, nor heard of Kimchi. And do I DREAM of a root cellar - our temperatures don't get cold enough, for long enough...
But, co-incidentally, my strawberries are also coming into flower - so I guess the fruit can't be that far away :)
Kimchi can boost my appetite. Kimchi and warm rice in winter is comfort food for me;-). Those are berry berry delicious strawberries.
Have never made Kimchi ...was introduced to it by Koren students visiting here. Your 'deluxe' version makes me want to give it a try. Sounds delicious.
Your kimchi with so many fresh vegetables sounds really good! I've only managed to pickle some cucumbers here, and now I'm wondering if I can use green tomatoes (that won't ripen in time) to make kimchi... Have you tried it in your kimchi?
Mr. H I cannot believe you still have strawberries. I am so impressed.
I have never heard of Kimchi but I am very interested in finding out now. You make it sound wonderful. I do love sauerkraut.
I always learn something beneficial on your site I am so glad I found it.
I am now off to research Kimchi. Thanks Mr.H. B
I enjoy "regular" kimchi but it never occurred to me to try making my own. I love all of the extras that you included in yours, what a great idea. I'm going to add this to my "gotta try" list.
I do ferment quite a few foods, but I have yet to try kimchi. I was hoping to try some this winter when my greenhouse crop of napa and pac choi and various other asian greens come in. Yours looks really good.
We tried making Kimchi but I think did it wrong... not sure. Sounds like a great way to use/store tons of garden veggies!
If you get a chance... a tutorial on how you guys make it would be awesome!
I've enjoyed eating kimchi but have never tried making my own. Your version sounds delicious.
The things you do are really fantastic... in as much as we relish eating kimchi, never have we really tried making it... not yet... I salute you!
LOVE kimchi - never heard of quite so creative a recipe though!
Pining for a cold cellar...
No to kimchi .. although I've heard all sorts of stories from my son that was stationed in Korea for a year .. I do have sauerkraut fermenting in the basement .. a first for me. How nice to have strawberries in August!
I learned about kimchi many years ago from my best friend Kim. She'd bring vats home from the Korean market and we'd gobble up kimchi and rice until our ears bled. The good die young and so did Kim but i remember her often, especially when the sharp, salty crunch of kimchi flames across my tongue and out through my ears!
I'd love to try your many colored kimchi Mr. H, it sounds delicious ; ))
I LOVE Kimchi! I'm making cucumber Kimchi as I type. It's only in the salted state at this point, getting some extra water out of the cukes over-night. Then come the spices! I think I will try using the Garlic Chives instead of Garlic this year since I have an over-abundance of the former. The apples and oranges will be used to help make the vinegar that keeps them so long. When I have more Tree Collard to eat off of, I think I'll try making it with that too!
I wonder if Beets will make a kimchee with it's sweetness helping the fermentation process, and adding a vibrant color in the process.
My next venture is learning how to make Nukazuke. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nukazuke) Definitely an aroma you have to learn to love if you are not raised with it, but I miss having some, plus I have a lot of eggplant that would suit that method well. Just need to find some rice bran now! Enjoy your Kimchi!
I've never had Kimchi, it sounds like a winner..almost like a chow chow< is that close to it? or is it more like a pumped up Sauerkraut? I'll wait for your tutorial :o)
Kumi - I have never tried green tomatoes in kimchi before but would not be at all surprised if it made an excellent addition to the mix.
AJK - Thanks for that link, I read all about Nukazuke and it sounds like a very interesting way to keep and ferment vegetables...I might have to check into it some more and try it myself one of these days.
Ginny - Our version is like a pumped up spicy sauerkraut...great for warming ones soul in the middle of winter.:)
Mr H ... I love fresh kimchi and found your site a couple of years ago when looking for a recipe for "fresh Kimchi". I think you were making some for your father's birthday. I used your recipe but didn't let it ferment as long. It didn't call for for crushing the cabbage & sounds quite different. I loved the crispy yet wilted cabbage & other vegies. What do you like better about the new recipe?
My strawberries (Quinalt Everbearing) are also coming on strong this year. I didn't really expect much of a crop as I just moved the plants to a new location this spring.
Thanks for all the wonderful info, tips & recipes!
Very interesting Mr H, Kimchi sounds like a cross between sauerkraut and giardiniera. I love how we can use recipes from around the globe to preserve our veg :-) As I have a completely different glut of veg (red bell peppers, eggplant, garlic and chili peppers) I'm going to make a Balkan preserve called ajvar today.
I like kimchi but have only had it made with cabbage. I haven't had any in a very long time. My dad and I were the only ones in the family that liked it.
Your version sounds and looks wonderful.
So happy for you that you made Kimchi, I LOVE that stuff.
Your berries are beautiful and I am happy to hear they went into a smoothie!!
Peace and Raw Health,
Elizabeth
Sorry, but to me Kimchi is totally unattractive! I have tried it a couple of times, but I can't develop a taste for it.
I've tried kimchi, but never made it. I'll have to add it to my 'to try' list. I have a nice big crock I used for making sauerkraut way back when. If your kimchi is like pumped up spicy kraut, then I would be all over it! I always learn something when I visit here. Thanks for sharing.
Oh gosh, those strawberries are so mouthwatering. I've been wanting to make some kimchi, but never have all the ingredients. I suppose there's a lot of variation in recipes anyway. Yours looks colorfully tempting. I love lacto-fermented foods and suspect kimchi would be a tasty treat for us.
Sharon - The nice thing about kimchi is that there are so very many different ways to make it. What I like most about the last couple batches I made was the addition of cucumbers and green beans. Some people crush the cabbage and some don't...I did because I wanted to have as much natural brine as possible without having to add too many more liquids.
Glad to hear that you like kimchi, we have been making it off and on now for quite a few years. I just love that it is another great way to store veggies and other than the salt I think it is pretty healthy too.
Do you know of a good recipe for Kimchi online? There are so many, I don't know which one to try. We have 4 heads of cabbage begging to by preserved.
Mike - Here
is a good kimchi recipe. You can substitute any cabbage for the recomended napa cabbage and use a any red pepper powder, hot or not.
Oh man, I looooove kimchi, especcially as made by the mother of my Korean mate. But this recipe sounds good too. Just got various kale seedlings on the go to plant out once it gets cooler (boy it's hot here...). Can't grow these in the summer when all sorts of bugs want to eat my brassica.
I rather like kimchi but my husband is pretty cool on it. If I made some I would be the only one eating it. I should do a small batch though just for me. :D
Are those the Fort Laramie strawberries? They look delicious!
Laura - Yes, those are our second crop of the Fort Laramie. Not coming on as prolifically as I had hoped but still plenty enough for us to snack on.
Heiko - Some day I hope to try a traditional Korean kimchi.:)
Mr.H., Traditional Korean kimchi blows your head off as far as I can tell. Great if you have a cold, it clears your head a treat!
mmm, kimchi is delicious!
This looks divine. Excellent tip, waxed paper. I've never had Kimchi, but I know I should try it. Beautiful! Lucky, you two! ♥
I love making Kimchi too - I use carrots, radish, turnips, kale, any brassica green in the garden, and a lot of chinese cabbage. I'm curious to add some beans to the mix.
I've been using directions from Sandor Katz's Wild Fermentation book and have been measuring vegetables by volume rather than weight. I think using weight will be more precise.
Do you add one cup of water per batch, or per 5lbs?
Thanks for the update,
Dan
I have only had kimchi for the first time this year and i LOVE it! What a beautiful harvest - and the kimchi looks yummy!
Dan - The amount of water kind of depends upon the ingredients, with more cabbage I seem to need less water with less cabbage more water.The last batch I made was 15 lbs and I needed 2 cups of water.
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