TL;DR: Kimchi making party on October 18 in a new thread (I’ll create it) and in IRC. Wear sheet masks. (You don’t have to, but I needed to make this AB related some how, haha.) Share your progress and get help along the way. Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish that is spicy and sour. General shopping list and recipes at the very end. Ask preparatory questions, share your tips, and share your favorite kimchi recipes and videos below.
Let’s be honest here: we love all things unique smeared on our faces. Starfish! Snails! Vitamin C! Acids! Placentas! Bee Venom! Propolis! Syn-ake! FERMENTED EVERYTHING!
After much discussion in IRC and channeling our inner ajummas, I was forced chosen to host this kimchi making party since I had the most experience. (Trust me, I’m no where near pro status. I’ve only started making kimchi two years ago.) I have set the party date on Saturday, October 18 from 12PM-6PM CST so we can have one week to find and buy the necessary ingredients and equipment for making and storing kimchi. Also, I hope this gives you kimchi experts out there enough time to notice and share your wisdom with all of us. (major halp pls)
What to expect next Saturday
- I will create a new kimchi thread to initiate partying at 12PM CST
- IRC will also be partying, so join us!
- We’re all going to channel our inner ajummas and wear sheet masks to pass the time during the waiting periods
- Discuss experience throughout the process
- Questions and answers throughout the process
- Share our progress from start to finish if you’d like (photos, videos, etc.)
- Reflect on kimchi making experience, like what you’d like to do differently next time
- If you’re all interested, we can do a kimchi tasting party thread down the road too. Just let me know how long you plan to keep your kimchi fermented before trying it so I can gauge when to do the party.
- Making kimchi takes time and it also depends on how much you’re making. Allot 4-6 hours of free time for this.
What is Kimchi?
Kimchi (aka Gimchi) is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made by salting watery vegetables (e.g., nappa cabbage) to remove the excess water and then covering every inch of said vegetables in a kimchi paste (e.g., hot pepper flakes, crushed garlic, minced onions and ginger, etc.).
Different types of kimchi were traditionally made at different times of the year, based on when various vegetables were in season and also to take advantage of hot and cold seasons before the era of refrigeration. Seasonality isn’t necessary anymore, but most Koreans still follow the traditional seasonal preferences. Most of us are familiar with autumn and winter kimchi (consisting of nappa cabbage and white radish among other julienned vegetables), which are traditionally stored in giant earthenware jars (onggi) and buried underground to ferment for months.
The taste is often described as spicy and sour. However, the level of spiciness depends on how much hot pepper flakes you put into your kimchi paste. (The more, the spicier. I usually put in 2 full cups of hot pepper flakes for a 10-pound batch, LOL.) The longer the kimchi ferments, the more sour it will become. I generally let my kimchi ferment for at least a month before eating because I love the strong flavor and softened vegetable texture.
Does it really need to ferment?
Kimchi is ready to eat as soon as you’ve covered it in the kimchi paste. You don’t necessarily have to eat it after its undergone fermentation. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to kimchi. Some like theirs fresh, some like theirs two weeks old, and others like theirs 1-2 months old.
If you are new to kimchi, I would highly suggest you try them right after you’re done making your batch, 1-2 weeks later, and if there’s any left, in 1-2 months. This way, you can gauge how strong you like your kimchi.
Storing Kimchi
It is important that you have an airtight container to seal in your kimchi for fermentation. Find airtight containers big enough to fit all your kimchi after you have smothered your vegetables in the delicious kimchi paste. When you place a layer of vegetables down, remember to always gently press down to remove any air pockets and bubbles. If you just carelessly throw in your kimchi into a container without pressing down to remove air, your kimchi will get moldy. Your hard work will be for nothing. Ajummas all over the world will sense it and scold you.
If you do get mold on the top layer of your kimchi, just remove or cut that part out. If you are uncomfortable eating something that may be contaminated with mold, then don’t eat it. However, I have never experienced mold growing in my kimchi. And if I do, I’d just remove the moldy part and continue inhaling my kimchi. Please don’t take my word for it. Follow your gut instincts. YMMV.
So what kind of containers can you use to store kimchi? From my experience, plastic airtight containers work really well. I usually put a layer of plastic/cling wrap on top of the kimchi (touching) and press it gently down to get all the air out and then seal it with my lid. I have not tried glass jars yet as I never had any on hand. However, this time, I kept a large glass jar from the last kimchi I bought at an Asian grocery store so I’ll be using that in combination with plastic airtight containers next weekend! If you are cool and have a Korean earthenware pot (onggi), you should use it to store your kimchi. I would advise you to cover the top opening with plastic/cling wrap and then put the lid on to prevent air from getting in.
Advice: Once you’ve used said containers for kimchi, I would only use them for kimchi from now on as the smell and stain will remain even after you’ve washed them a million times.
My kimchi is contained. Now what? You have two options: (1) Leave it on your kitchen counter for a day or two at room temperature to speed up the fermentation process and then put in your refrigerator. (2) Or, put it in your refrigerator right away.
Warning: your fridge may start to smell like kimchi. I guess that’s one of the reasons why Koreans have a kimchi fridge, right? However, I’ve never noticed a kimchi smell in my fridge (yet).
Kimchi Recipes
Here are a few recipes (some with videos) to get you started. I have tried Maangchi’s versions and absolutely love them. If you have an awesome kimchi recipe, please share in the comments!
- Maangchi
- Mak-kimchi (Easy-to-make Kimchi)
- Tongbaechu-kimchi (Napa Cabbage Kimchi)
- Baechu-kimchi, Kkakdugi (Napa Cabbage Kimchi and Radish Kimchi)
- Yangbaechu-kimchi (Emergency Kimchi)
- Aeri’s Kitchen
- Mak GimChi (Easy Napa Cabbage Kimchi)
- BaeChu GimChi (Napa Cabbage Kimchi)
- GgakDuGi (Korean Radish Kimchi)
- Omma’s Kitchen
- Beyond Kimchee
If you’re not a fan of cabbage, the websites listed above also have kimchi recipes using other vegetables. Generally, you want to use vegetables that are great for pickling like cucumbers.
General Shopping List
Based off of Maangchi’s overall kimchi recipes because I’ve only ever used hers. (I wish she was my mom.) Plus, her website has an incredible section dedicated to ingredients specific to Korean dishes.
- Nappa cabbage
- Carrots
- Green Onions
- Korean Radish or Daikon or Cherry Belle Radish (optional)
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Onion
- Salt (lots of it depending on how much you are making)
- Fish Sauce or Soy Sauce (I’ve used both and can’t tell the difference)
- Hot Pepper Flakes
- All Purpose Flour or Sweet Rice Flour (optional)
- To thicken kimchi paste so it is easier to spread evenly
- Cutting board
- Knife
- 2 giant mixing bowls
- Less or more, but needs to fit all your vegetables
- Gloves (optional)
- To protect your delicate hands from the salt and kimchi paste
- Airtight containers
- Glass, plastic, or Korean earthenware pot
- Size depends on how much kimchi you plan to make; large ones are best in case you make too much
Good luck, everyone! Apologies for the long post and if I got any information wrong. Who's in?!
Submitted October 12, 2014 at 01:25AM by joowee http://ift.tt/1tkyJtJ AsianBeauty
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