Fermentation Recipes: Sauerkraut and Kimchi

If you missed our recent fermentation class, below are the recipes, provided by Fermenters Club founder Austin Durant.

Slow Sauerkraut Recipe

Total Prep Time: 20 minutes Fermentation Time: 7 days to 6 months

1) Shred & Salt Cabbage

2 large heads (5 lbs.) organic cabbage (green or purple) 3 Tablespoons sea salt 2 teaspoons caraway seeds 1 teaspoon juniper berries

1 cup other fruit or veggies-- fennel bulb, celery, apple, e.g. (Optional) Working in four batches (1/2 head at a time):

Shred cabbage & other veggies to a uniform size using a chef’s knife, mandolin, or V-slicer. Add cabbage and 1⁄4 of the other ingredients to a 1-gallon or larger fermenting vessel (glass, ceramic crock, or food-grade plastic container).

Mix ingredients together thoroughly with clean hands.

2) Pack into Vessel

Pack contents down with your hands. Add a plate or plastic lid that fits inside vessel & covers the top layer of cabbage. Add a heavy object such as a glass bottle filled with water, or a zip-top bag with salt-water to weigh cabbage down. Cover the container with a dish towel or other cloth (not cheesecloth) to keep out flies and dust. Brine will form as salt draws water from the cabbage (may take a day).

Ferment

Stash it in a cool, dark place– a cellar, under the stairs, or the coolest place in the kitchen. Check on it every few days (in warmer weather) to weekly (in cooler weather). Some mold may form on the surface. Remove weight and lid; wash them with warm soapy water. Then skim off the surface mold, getting as much as you can. Don’t worry if you don’t get it all. The contents are safe under the brine.

Ensure that contents are always under brine. If there is not enough brine to cover the contents, dissolve 1 Tbsp salt per 1 Cup of filtered water (mix as much as you need to cover the contents). Pour on top of contents. Leave for as little as 7 days or as long as 6 months.

When it tastes the way you like it, do a final mold cleaning and transfer to smaller (quart- or pint-sized) jars. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

© Fermenters Club 2012.

Kimchi

Soak Vegetables

Add to 1 gallon glass jar or ceramic crock: o 1 1⁄2 medium heads (2-3 lbs). cabbage (green, Napa, or bok choy), cut into 1”

chunks o 2 carrots, thinly sliced o 1 medium daikon radish, thinly sliced o 1 scallion

Dissolve salt into water. Pour brine over contents. o 3 pints filtered water o 4-5 tablespoons sea salt

Weigh veggies under brine with heavy glass bottle or plate with weight for 4 to 6 hours.

Make paste

Add to food processor: o 4 Tbsp. red pepper powder o 1 Tbsp. fish sauce o 1 Tbsp. soy sauce o 6-8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped o 3 scallions, sliced o 1 Tbsp. (about 3”) ground ginger

Pulse in food processor until paste forms.

Pack Jar or Crock

Drain vegetables, reserving 1 cup of soaking liquid. Wearing glove, mix paste thoroughly into vegetables with your hands. Pack into jar or crock. Even out top surface. Weigh down with plate or lid & weight. Contents should be under brine within 1 day. If not, top off with reserved brine.

Ferment

Cover with towel to keep dust/flies out. Let sit in warm dark spot for 7 days. Note: Your kitchen will smell like kimchi. Transfer to smaller (quart- or pint-sized) jars. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Posted on February 29, 2012 and filed under Do It Yourself, Free download.