Mom's Kimchi Recipe | Korean Food 김치 (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients of Korean kimchi? ›

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made with fermented vegetables. Its ingredients can vary, but napa cabbage and Korean radish are common bases. Kimchi also often includes green onions, ginger, and garlic.

Kimchi is typically fermented by 'wild cultures' naturally present on the vegetables. The formation of organic acids (primarily lactic and acetic acid) results in an optimum kimchi pH of 4.2. The kimchi fermentation process is very short in comparison to making sauerkraut.

Homemade kimchi must be kept refrigerated and will last for up to 1 month. Store-bought kimchi that remains unopened can be kept at room temperature for 1-3 months. If you have store-bought kimchi that's been opened, it will be good for 3-4 days at room temperature and up to 6 months when refrigerated.

This spice mix delivers the holy trinity of spice blends - garlic, ginger and chilli pepper. Add to red or white cabbage and leave the spice to do all the work for perfectly fermented Kimchi. Garlic, salt, ginger, chilli pepper.

The key to a good kimchi is the balance of salt, heat, and the lactic tang that results from fermentation, similar to the acidic bite in sauerkraut or pickles. Napa cabbage is the standard veg used to make kimchi, and it also happens to be the only kind Mrs.

Allow 1 hour to prepare the kimchi and get it in the fermentation jar. Plus 4 hours waiting while the vegetables salt. It takes 5-10 days to ferment depending on room temperature.

Kimchi can be made from a variety of vegetables, and even fruits, but the most recognized version — baechu kimchi — is made with cabbage. Alongside cabbage, it often contains radishes, scallions, carrots, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and other flavorings. Kimchi has a sour, salty, savory, and often fiery taste.

Kimchi is traditionally made with napa cabbage, but there's nothing to stop you from using another cabbage! Napa cabbage, Chinese cabbage, green cabbage, savoy cabbage, white cabbage, red cabbage, and bok choy (we could go on and on) are all part of the very large cruciferous family (Brassicaceae).

Wash and quarter the cabbage, discard the core and slice across into 2.5 cm strips. Place in a bowl with 2 tbsp sea salt and massage the salt into the leaves. Cover and set aside for 1 hour. Whisk together the chilli paste, vinegar, sugar, crushed garlic, grated ginger and fish sauce.

*The beauty of kimchi is you can use any vegetables you have on hand. They can be either fresh or on the softer side. Here are some of our favourites: nappa cabbage, carrots, green onions, cauliflower and bok choy.

Can I put soy sauce in kimchi? ›

Take a bowl and add ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chilli flakes, red chilli powder and sesame oil. Mix everything well. Cover and keep the dressing to use later. After 1 hour, wash the cabbage properly with water.

Kimchi spoilage and over-fermentation

It will continue to ferment at a cool temperature. If kimchi over-ferments, it will have a very vinegary odor and taste. It is not pleasant to eat raw, so it is often used for soups and stews. If any fermentation gets soft and slimy, then it is a sign of spoilage.

The cause of black dots, known as “pepper spot” or “black spec”, is likely to be low light levels, high soil pH, fertilizers high in nitrogen and phosphorus, and harvesting & storage conditions. Regardless of the cause, our scientists confirmed that the cabbage leaves with “Black Specs” are perfectly safe to eat.

The white spots are yeast, not mould

According to a study by the World Institute of Kimchi (yes there is!!!) and published in the Journal of Microbiology, those white colonies are actually yeast that's not known to be toxic. It's however recommended that you remove the whites, wash and cook the kimchi before consuming.

The central elements in kimchi are fresh Chinese cabbage, Korean chillies, ginger, garlic and salt, with a fish sauce or equivalent like soy sauce, miso or even water. This combination gives kimchi its kaleidoscope of flavours, with the fermentation process adding the unmistakable sourness.

Basic ingredients for kimchi: napa cabbage, radish, carrot, salt, garlic, fish sauce, chili powder and scallions. A sticky, glutinous paste of rice flour is also needed to make the seasoning of the kimchi. Salted napa cabbage before making kimchi.

Nutritional Information

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Napa Cabbage, Chili Pepper, Carrot, Garlic, Green Onion, Cane Sugar, Onion, Salted Baby Shrimp, Sea Salt, Ginger, Anchovy Extract.