Kimchi Recipe
Kimchi is a fermented vegetable condiment from Korea. There are many different kimchi recipes but most contain a combination of cabbage, asian greens such as bok choy, celery, carrot, ginger, chilli, spring onions, seaweeds and celtic sea salt. It is made in much the same way as traditional sauerkraut by pounding the vegetables and adding salt and then allowing nature to work its magic.
Fermentation is a wonderful alchemical process that is fun to watch and participate in and is a great activity for kids to get involved in. Anyone can make their own kimchi at home, and it ends up being much more economical than many commercial products. It is a little bit labour intensive at the beginning, but most of the hard work is done by the invisible microbes!
Latest Health Benefits
Recent studies have revealed even more impressive health benefits of kimchi consumption. Research has shown that fermented foods like kimchi could help boost not just your physical health, but your mental health too, with experts noting that “eating fermented foods is a powerful tool for nurturing your mental health by changing your microbiome.”
Studies demonstrate that kimchi consumption could have health promoting effects in young adults including improving blood glucose levels, serum lipid profiles, and total antioxidant status, showing it may be protective against lipid-related diseases. Additionally, randomized controlled trials have found that kimchi interventions showed decrease in serum lipids, cholesterols and body fats.
Remarkably, data from 2024 suggested that Koreans live to age 84 on average, giving them a six-year longevity advantage over the average American, with kimchi being one healthy staple of the Korean diet, with many citizens eating a reported 40 pounds per year.
Nodding Tops have a carrot like flavour, and this weed works well in salads and kimchi.
Why Wild Greens Make a Difference
Nodding Tops have a carrot like flavour, and this weed works well in salads and kimchi
I like to take my kimchi to the next level by adding a range of wild greens and herbs into each batch. This adds both a diversity of flavour as well as a wider exposure to health promoting phytochemicals, antioxidants and probiotics. While this is not necessarily traditional kimchi, in the world of fermenting there really aren’t any rules! To learn more about the benefits of weeds and wild greens in your diet, check out my previous post and YouTube video here.
You can get traditional fermenting crocks and kits to make sauerkraut and kimchi, but you can just as easily use items that are found in most kitchens. A simple wooden mallet or pestle, a large saucepan or plastic container can be used to make it in. Once finished it can then be fermented in a large glass storage jar or plastic bucket with a lid (you can get these at hardware stores). You will need to have some glass jars for storing your finished fermented kimchi, which can be recycled jars or store bought mason jars.
NB: A tip to ensure both a good batch and quick start to your kimchi ferment, is to include some juice of your previous batch or one of a store bought one. I always keep the leftover juices when one of my batches is finished as this is a great additive to my next new batch of kimchi.
So here’s my recipe below – I hope you have fun making it!
Wild Greens Kimchi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium white cabbage
- 1/4-1/2 red cabbage
- 2 large carrots
- 1 bok choy or wombok
- small bunch of kale
- 1 tablespoon each of grated fresh ginger and crushed garlic
- 1 small bunch of spring onions
- Fresh green or red chilli or dried chilli – amount depends on taste and how hot you like it – I use around 1 teaspoon
- Small bunch of fresh herbs – such as coriander, parsley, dill, mint
- Small bunch of wild weeds or greens from the garden (eg. nodding tops, wood sorrel, cobbler’s pegs, dandelion)
- 1-2 tablespoons of dulse flakes, kelp or wakame seaweed (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of quality salt – such as himalayan, celtic or murray river flakes
Method
Cabbage straight from my garden!
Cabbage straight from my garden!
- Prepare the base vegetables: Chop and shred cabbage by hand or process in a food processor, then mix together with chopped kale and wombok and half the salt in a large saucepan or food grade plastic bucket. Pound cabbage with a meat mallet or wooden pounder or pestle of some kind until you get lots of juice. This process is important at bruising the cabbage and breaking down the fibrous components to enable quicker fermentation. It also gives you a bit of a workout, but feel free to take turns with other family members if you need a break!
- Add remaining ingredients: Grate the carrot and roughly chop the spring onions and all the herbs and add to cabbage mixture. Stir together with the rest of the salt and seaweed and pound again gently until moist and mixed well. Add any juices from any other batch of kimchi if you have them.
- Pack for fermentation: Place the mixture into a large glass storage jar or plastic bucket with lid. Press down and pack the mixture in firmly until the juice rises to the top and covers the mixture, which it will do when it is pounded enough. Leave at least one inch or more of space at the top of the jar to allow for expansion and to prevent exposure of the vegetables to the air which can spoil the fermentation. Place a plate or saucer on top of the kimchi to create a weight to ensure the vegetable mixture always remains below the top of the juice.
Fermenting in a glass jar lets you see the magic happening!
The ideal temperature range for vegetable fermentation is 60°F (16°C) to 70°F (21°C), with 65°F being considered perfect for kimchi fermentation. Recent research shows that higher temperatures (10–15°C) enhance lactic acid bacteria diversity and alter microbial composition compared to lower temperatures (4°C).
Cover the kimchi and store the jar on the kitchen bench or in a cupboard for 3-5 days (depending on the ambient temperature of the kitchen). Typically, kimchi takes a few days to ferment at room temperature, however, if your room is warm, it might ferment in just one day. The saltiness of your kimchi also affects the fermentation time; the saltier it is, the longer it will take.
If you don’t feel comfortable fermenting at room temperature, it’s perfectly fine to ferment your kimchi in the fridge. In fact, factory-produced kimchi in Korea is kept at a constant 4 degrees celsius – the temperature of your fridge.
Check on it each day and see if you can see the telltale signs of fermentation: bubbles! It should have a nice spicy sulphurous smell, and tangy sour flavour. After a few days, when you are happy with the fermentation and flavour, transfer it into jars and store in the refrigerator. Be sure that the kimchi is pressed down and covered with a little juice in each jar to ensure that it will preserve well.
Kimchi may be consumed straight away, but is better after a couple of weeks or longer as the flavour tends to develop more over time. It will keep indefinitely in the fridge.
It is great served with eggs, meats, rice and as a general condiment. Enjoy!
Finished kimchi, ready to eat!
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