I ran across an article that I would like to share with you all. I love KIMCHI and make my own. I knew it was a healthy probiotic food, but here is a great article on the details of its value.
https://www.naturalhealth365.com/new-research-reveals-benefits-of-kimchi-3430.html
To make this easier for you all, even though I did a blog on Kimchi a few years back called “Kimchi…from the Test Kitchen”, I am going to include my recipe for making it here:
KIMCHI – ingredients
1 Medium Napa cabbage (approx. 2 lbs.)
1/4 cup Sea Salt
4 Cups water (warm)
1 medium to large carrot, grated
1 regular size Fuji or other sweet apple, chopped
1/2 small white onion, chopped
1 1/2 cloves garlic or can substitute prepared chopped garlic (1-2 tsp.)
1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
3 Tbsp chili powder or a combo of 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper and 1 Tbsp paprika
3-4 green onions sliced into 1 inch pieces to include the green tops
Preparation:
Quarter the cabbage and cut or chop it into 2 inch pieces. Place cabbage in a large bowl. Combine 2 cups lukewarm water with the salt – stir until dissolved. Pour this mixture over the cabbage and add the remaining 2 cups water; stir to mix. Be sure the cabbage is submerged in the water and not floating. You can place a plate to fit the bowl, into the bowl on top of the cabbage, and then weight it down. Let it sit on the counter away from a window for about 2 hours, or as long as 12 hours. Stir now and then during those hours. I let it sit 4 hours. This wilts the cabbage.
While waiting on the cabbage to wilt, MAKE A PASTE of the Chile pepper, or the cayenne and paprika combo, by mixing it with a small amount of water. Add the apple, white onion, ginger, and garlic, put in a blender and blend it all together until smooth. Note: If too stiff, add water a little at a time until smooth. Add the grated carrot by stirring it into the paste.
When the cabbage is ready, reserve a 1/2 cup of the water (brine), and drain the rest off. Rinse the cabbage well with clean water (I use purified) and drain the water off. Place the cabbage back in the bowl, add the paste mixture and the green onions. Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the cabbage is coated.
This mixture makes enough to fill 1 large wide mouth glass mason jar. Pack the cabbage mix down into the jar as tight as you can to release any air bubbles. Add enough of the brine water you saved to cover the cabbage mixture, leaving about an inch at the top for the gasses and air to release. Cover with the lid. Place the bottle in a cool to room temperature place, (on a counter top or in a cupboard). Leave for 24 to 36 hours or more. At 24 hours open the bottle to check the Kimchi and pack it down with a spoon. The cabbage will have shrunk and the liquid increased. You will see it bubbling. This is normal. The fermenting process has begun, and the flavor is developing. At 36 hours taste your Kimchi. If you like the taste, put it in the refrigerator. If not let it ferment longer and keep tasting it until you like the taste – then refrigerate it. In the refrigerator it will be good for a maximum period of 2 – 6 months.
NOTES: You will find that the weather can play a role as to how slow or fast your mixture will ferment. High temperatures speed up the fermentation while cool temperatures slow it down. The taste of Kimchi should be tangy, spicy and slightly sweet. The apple/carrot is for the sweetness – you may have to add more apple the next time you make it if it is not sweet enough for your taste. Or, you can add, along with the apples, about a Tbsp of organic pure cane sugar, coconut sugar or raw sugar – as long as it is pure sugar. As well, you may need to adjust the Chile for a more spicy or less spicy flavor. Or, add radishes to replace the chili for a spicy taste. (This is what I am going to try).
In Conclusion: Experiment until you get the taste to be the way you like it.
How can you use it?
Mix it with tuna fish, organic mayonnaise, lemon juice and chopped hard boiled eggs to be put on a sandwich or eaten just as a salad with crackers. It can also be served over rice or oriental noodles, put in soup, on a burger, in pancakes, or just served as a side dish condiment.
After making your first Kimchi, and you go on to make it a second or third time to adjust the taste, be sure to write down any changes you made.
Don’t be afraid to experiment – it is worth the experimentation. And may you REAP THE BENEFITS of this wonderful food!
FYI-HEALTH TALK 