Simple home kimchi-like recipe. Great as a side or ingredient for any Asian-inspired dish that could use a little kick. Not authentic, but it can be done with the ingredients I normally keep in stock. 2lbs of cabbage, after this recipe, will fill a 1/2 gallon mason jar.
Ingredients:
Napa Cabbage, cut 2x1" pieces 2lb Salt, non-iodized 36g Sugar 1tsp Red pepper flakes 2tbsp Garlic cloves, minced 6 Ginger, grated 1tsp Fish sauce 3tbsp Green onions, cut 2" diagonally 4 Onion, medium, thin slices 1 Carrot, thinly sliced 8oz
Process:
- Place cabbage in a large bowl, toss with salt.
- Cover bowl, allow cabbage to wilt for 1-12 hrs.
- Combine and grind into a paste, the garlic, ginger, pepper, sugar
- Drain cabbage, save juice
- Combine all ingredients, mix
- Put mixture into jars, add cabbage juice
- Press mixture down, underneath liquid surface.
- Add a weight to keep the contents submerged. This is important, as any vegetable above the liquid surface may mold or rot, and ruin the whole batch. *
- Cover, but don’t seal, as fermentation produces gasses which need to be vented *
- Place out of direct sunlight and allow to ferment for a week
- When done, seal jars and store in refrigerator
* I am using 1/2 Gallon Ball Mason Jars along with the Ball Fermentation Kit. The kit includes a lid with a one-way vent, which allows the fermentation gasses to displace oxygen and inhibit the growth of aerobic bacteria or mold. The kit also includes a spring to push the contents of the jar downward, thus serving the same function as a weight.