Korean Kim Chee

It is such an important part of Korean cuisine that a special “space kimchee” was developed to go along with the first Korean astronaut on the Russian-manned space ship Soyuz. And the Korean government officially named this food a national treasure.

Kim chee is a fermented food. The basic recipe is made by fermenting fresh vegetables flavored with fresh chili paste. Fermented foods are an important part of every ancient cuisine, aiding in the digestion of the meal.

Beneficial Probiotics

These beneficial bacteria are known as probiotics. Fermented foods are rich in probiotic life and contain lactic acid bacteria, including Lactobacillus. These probiotics repopulate your digestive tract to help you digest your food efficiently.

Traditional fermented foods are also an important source of vitamins C and B (especially B12). B12, most commonly found in animal products, is produced by bacteria. Because of modern sanitization requirements, store bought versions of fermented foods are often lacking in B12. If you want to get B12 from fermented vegetables, make them at home.

How to Ferment at Home

In order to properly ferment the vegetables it’s important that they are completely covered with fluid. Most of this fluid will be the natural juices of the vegetables, pulled out by the salty brine. But if there isn’t enough to cover the vegetables, add a little extra brine. So make sure you save the brine when you drain the vegetables!

You can tell that your kim chee is done when the vegetables are tender and taste good! If you’ve never had kim chee and are unsure of what it should taste like, try a pre-made variety.

Vegetables:

(use organic whenever possible)

6-8 daikon radish

8-10 carrots

1 head of green or napa cabbage

1 head broccoli (including peeled stalks)

2 tablespoons sea salt

½ gallon purified water

3-4 cloves garlic

1” fresh ginger root

¼ cup sesame seeds

1/8 – ½ teaspoon of cayenne (depending on how spicy you like it)

¼ cup mild red chili flakes

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 wide mouth quart jars with tight fitting lids

coffee grinder

blender

1. Grate, shred or thinly slice all the vegetables. You can use the slicing blade on your food processor or do it by hand.
2. Mix sea salt and water to make brine.
3. Cover vegetables with brine and let soak for 8-10 hours.
4. Make chili paste by grinding sesame seeds in coffee grinder and then blending all ingredients in a blender.
5. When the vegetables are done soaking, drain them and squeeze out excess water. Save the brine… you might need it in the next steps.
6. Place the chili paste in a large mixing bowl. Add the soaked vegetables to the bowl a little at a time, mixing the paste into them with your hands. Mix the vegetables and chili paste together like this until the vegetables are evenly coated.
7. Pack vegetables into two wide mouth quart jars, a handful at a time. Put a handful in the jar and then pack it down as hard as you can before you put the next handful in and do the same. Repeat this until the jar is full and the liquids from the vegetables are releasing and rising above the vegetables.
8. Add retained brine if necessary to make sure the vegetables are covered in water.
9. Wipe the mouths of the jars clean and seal with lids.
10. Allow to sit at room temperature for 24-48 hours until it ferments.
11. Open the jar over your sink after fermentation. It’s ALIVE and it may bubble over!
12. Kim Chee can be kept in the fridge for several weeks.