Farmer's Kimchi

Fermented foods are all the rage, and for good reason! Our ancestors fermented foods to preserve the bounty when refrigeration didn't exist. This process made the foods easier to digest and made the nutrients more bio-available. Historically, traditional cultures suffered far less disease than modern man. I believe eating a nourishing, traditional diet is important and beneficial to our health and that is why I aim to eat a fermented food at least once a day, ideally with each meal. 

Kimchi has always been a favorite of mine. It's spicy kick pairs well with scrambled eggs, on top of burgers or as a snack all on its own. Way back, when Farm Husband and I called Hawaii our home, kimchi was a staple in our diet. I remember the first time I was introduced to it. I thought it smelled funny, like someone had stuffed a dead fish in the jar of sauerkraut . I was so naive about food then! 

Lucky for me, I am an adventurous eater so it wasn't long before I was digging it! If I only knew how simple it was to make! There are many different variations of kimchi. This is sort of a legacy food, with each Korean grandma having her own twist! I haven't found one that I didn't like. Some are super spicy, some with an extra zing of ginger. I like my kimchi to have that ginger punch with added garlic and chili flakes to give it a kick that even my kids can tolerate. Daikon radish adds its own spicy flavor to the fermented napa cabbage and carrots. A little fish sauce, salt and green onions complete my version of kimchi. 

I searched high and low to find a fish sauce that didn't contain questionable ingredients. I have been very pleased with the Red Boat brand. The ingredients list :Anchovy and salt! I didn't realize how much junk a company could cram into fish sauce until I started to look. Grab this bottle and save yourself from highly processed crap! 

Farmer's Kimchi
One head of organic napa cabbage
3-4 medium organic carrots
2 medium organic daikon radishes
4 cloves of organic garlic
one bunch of organic green onions
1 1/2 Tablespoons Redmond Real Salt
2 inch piece of ginger
1 tablespoon red chili flakes (add more to kick up the heat)
2 tablespoons Red Boat Fish Sauce 

I start by chopping the napa cabbage into medium sized chunks. I use the end of a wooden rolling pin to smash the cabbage and half the salt. This will start to release the juices from the cabbage. These juices will eventually cover the kimchi in the jar and help keep mold at bay while the fermentation process takes place. Shred the carrots and daikon radish in a food processor. You can do it by hand on a cheese grater but you don't want to! I smash a little more once I add the carrots and radish. Crush the garlic cloves into the bowl, then grate the ginger into the bowl. Smash again. I add the rest of the salt, fish sauce, chili flakes and chopped green onion. Keep smashing until everything is bruised up and the juices are getting released. Start packing into mason jars leaving about a 1/2 inch of head space. I tamp down the kimchi in the jar using the end of the rolling pin again. This helps let the juice cover your kimchi. If you don't have enough juice you can add a little bit of water. I attach a Masontops pickle pipe to my jar and put in the pantry for several days to a week. I will check on them after a day or two and do a smell and taste check. The time it takes to ferment will depend heavily on the ambient temperture in the room. 

​Good luck and happy fermenting! 

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