Kimchi

Ingredients

  • 1kg Chinese cabbage (also known as Chinese leaves) 
  • 25g sea salt 
  • cloves of garlic, finely chopped 
  • 3cm piece of root ginger, peeled and grated 
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar 
  • red chillies, sliced 
  • 250g white radish/daikon, peeled and finely sliced 
  • 100g spring onions, peeled and finely sliced 

Method

  1. Chop the cabbage into strips 2cm wide. Place in a large bowl and scatter over the salt. Use your hands to rub the salt into the cabbage until it begins to wilt.
  2. Grind the garlic, ginger, and sugar in a pestle and mortar – or mix in a spice grinder – to form a paste. Add to the cabbage along with the radish and spring onions. Mix well using your hands. Finally, stir in the sliced chillies using a large spoon.
  3. Pack the mixture into two clean, dry 1 Litre Lakeland Fermentation Jars, pressing down so that the juices fill all the air spaces. Leave a 2cm gap between the top of the kimchi and the rim of the jar. Depress the silicone stopper to seal the jar – the one-way valve in the lid will then allow gasses to escape without letting oxygen in. Leave to ferment at room temperature for 2-6 days, but check the kimchi each day and press the cabbage mixture down so it stays submerged in liquid (you could also weigh it down with a cling film-covered ramekin filled with ceramic baking beans).
  4. Once you’re happy with the taste, store in the fridge for a couple of weeks before using. The taste will be strong and fiery. Use within 2 months.