Ingredients
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½ Cup of saltkosher works best
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12 Cups of watercold ( more or less )
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1.5 lbs. CabbageNapa has a better flavor for this recipe
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6 oz. Radishpeeled and cut down to 2” sticks – Use Daikon Radishes for best results
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3 Scallionslarge in size and trimmed on the ends. Cut into one inch pieces
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¼ Cup Korean Red Pepperin powder form
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1/8 Cup fish sauce found in most stores
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¼ Cup fresh gingerpeeled and minced
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1½ Teaspoons Korean style shrimpsalted and minced
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1½ Teaspoons sugarwhite refined
Directions
Kimchi is a fermented delicacy from Korea. It is made from a variety of vegetables, seasonings, and spices. What started out as salted vegetables in the early history has evolved over the years, adding ingredients including red hot peppers to make it even more tasty and of course spicy.
Kimchi is also low in calories and high in fiber. It is filled with vitamins and nutrients that include vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. It has lots of essential amino acids too. You will also find natural antioxidants and probiotics which are very beneficial to the body. To make it even more healthy, it is low in calories and fats.
Kimchi is well noted for its ability to improve the digestive system. Because of the probiotics found in Kimchi, its able to work with the digestive system to promote easy digestion. Lactobacillus is a healthy bacteria found in fermented foods. When consumed, it can help the digestive system fight off the bad bacteria and flush it on through the intestines.
More Reasons to eat Kimchi
In addition to the above benefits of consuming Kimchi, it can also help to regulate the cholesterol due to the added ingredient of garlic. Since garlic has Alicia as well as selenium in it, these two ingredients are key in lowering the cholesterol levels which in turn can decrease your chances of developing such conditions as heart disease or possible stroke or heart attack.
Kimchi is also known to have powerful antioxidant properties to help the body’s natural defense against bacteria as well as conditions that can cause the body to feel sick, leading to poor overall health. With the right amount of antioxidants in the body, you find yourself staying healthy for longer periods of time and colds don’t seem to get you down as far as they use to.
If you suffer from atopic dermatitis, you may not know but kimchi has lactobacillus bacteria. This bacteria can assist the body in tackling acute atopic dermatitis that can be embarrassing and down right painful. The healthy bacteria found in Kimchi is effective in healing this type of dermatitis.
If weight loss is a priority for you, Kimchi can play a major role in how much weight you lose. The good bacteria can help in weight loss because it not only controls your appetite, it can also decrease your blood sugar levels.
Every day, your skin ages. If you have a problem with advanced skin aging, you may want to consider kimchi in your daily diet. This delicious fermented food also contains anti-aging qualities that can make it possible for inflammation in the body to decrease. This inflammation can cause advancement in the aging process.
Because Kimchi contains cabbage, it can also contain healthy flavonoids that can decrease the growth of cancer cells.
Kimchi Prep
When you are preparing kimchi, you will find ingredients such as leeks, scallions, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, radish, cayenne peppers, ginseng, garlic, and mustard leaves in it.
It will take you a while to make this so don’t get in a rush or you may alter the end result. For the most part, the main work comes in the beginning when you are preparing all the vegetables.
Steps
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1
Done
5 minutes
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Prep the CabbageCut the cabbage crosswise into two inch pieces. Toss out the root |
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2
Done
1 minute
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Process the CabbagePlace the cabbage into a large sized bowl. Sprinkle salt all over the cabbage to coat it. Toss the cabbage with your hands until all the cabbage is coated evenly. Add enough of the cold water to cover the cabbage, approximately twelve cups. |
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3
Done
12-24 hours
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Cabbage to SetAllow it to sit at room temperature for approximately twelve to twenty-four hours. Note: You want to make sure that the cabbage is completely submerged in the water |
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4
Done
5 minutes
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Drain and Rinse the waterDrain the water from the cabbage and rinse it with cold water. Once the water has run through the cabbage leaves thoroughly, give it a gentle squeeze to remove any excess liquid that may be trapped before you transfer it to another bowl, medium in size. Set aside. |
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5
Done
5 minutes
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Combine Remaining IngredientsPut all the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and stir them together so they combine. |
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6
Done
1 minute
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Add CabbageAdd the prepared cabbage to the bowl with all the ingredients and toss it lightly with your hands and combine all the ingredients to ensure that all cabbage is coated thoroughly. |
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7
Done
10 minutes
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Place the mixture into jarsNow that you have prepared the cabbage and the mixture, it is now time to pack it into jars. Place enough of the mixture into jars that you fill it up almost all the way. |
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8
Done
2 minutes
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Seal itPlace a tight seal on each of the jars to ensure that no air can get into the jars. |
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9
Done
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Set for 24 hoursAllow the jars to set still in a dark place where the temperature is somewhat cool but not refrigerator cool. |
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10
Done
5 minutes
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Remove the gasAfter twenty-four hours, open each of the jars and allow any gas that has built up to escape before you reseal it. Refrigerate the mixture for approximately forty-eight more hours before you eat it. It tastes even better if you can allow it to set for up to one week before eating it. It gives the flavors time to mingle and create a new taste that will be appealing to your tastebuds. Note: Refrigerate for up to one month. |
