Hi,
I use the recipe from Nourishing Traditions, omitting the whey and the fish sauce. If you have "live" sauerkraut juice you could use that as a starter, that's what I did with my last batch and it worked beautifully. This basic recipe can be adjusted to suit your tastes. Less garlic, more garlic, hotter, milder, whatever. You can add different vegetables or change the proportions. I've used garden radishes when daikon wasn't available. I've used purple onions, but they turn a funny gray color; tasty but not pretty. Turnips or rhutabagas will work in this mixture, if you have them or like them.
Here is a link to the recipe:
http://thenourishingcook.com/your-body- ... is-kimchi/I usually make a big batch (like, 10 quarts) at a time. I use red pepper flakes and I use them sparingly, adding a pinch to each jar before putting the lid on. If your finished product is too mild you can always make it hotter with chili garlic paste or such. Also, I usually use thinly sliced onions instead of the green onions, because I don't trust the cleanliness of green onions from the store. As with making sauerkraut, the lids will bulge and the contents will bubble, so put the jars on a surface that can handle any drainage. After the three-day countertop fermentation, snug the bands down and put it in the fridge. I kept it for over a year (well over) and it just improves. You'll know if a jar is bad because it will smell rotted and look slimy...I've never had that happen, though. When you open a jar for the first time there will be some bubbling, that's normal. After you take some out, nudge the rest of the kimchi under the liquid.
If you have kimchi you can make hot and sour soup in an instant by pouring hot vegetable stock over some kimchi in a bowl.
Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:50 pm