First attempt at Kimchi

[Walter Sobchak]

I have been known to mince up some KimChee and add it to tuna salad sandwiches. And fried rice.

The burying of Kim Chee in clay pots was done to prevent it from freezing in the winter I think. From what I remember Kim Chee was/is made during the summer/autumn months to last the whole winter. Kinda of like the lemons the Brits took on ship voyages, or the sauerkraut used by the sea faring Europeans whose name escapes me now.

Mmm, Kimchi and tuna sounds really good! I'm going to try that one.

When I asked my friend why his parents buried the Kimchi pots, he told me that about 18" down is the perfect temp and environment for the kimchi to ferment. I asked him why they don't just put the pots in the basement and he said it's just tradition to bury them.

 

[century]

Heres the batch I did a few weeks ago.
Pretty much all gone now.
Once your hooked, it becomes an every day condiment.

 

[superbleu]

Those recipes look fantastic faceandhead, thanks. The sweet rice flour paste is intriguing.


Thanks Mike!




I am loving the recipes and tips that this thread has spawned! My next batch of kimchi is going to be a whole lot funkier!

My mom always added the rice flour paste.
Also she would add some pink paste made of tiny shrimp to the mix, not sure how easy this is to find other than at a korean/asian market.

 

[The Nid Hog]

I went over to the Korean grocery store where we usually shop and picked up a 5 lb back of chili powder. The owner saw that I was planning to make some kimchi, so he brought me out a tub of cucumber kimchi that his wife just finished making. They were unbelievably good. Each cucumber was split lengthwise into quarters, but the strips were left connected at one end. The inside was stuffed with minced carrots, onions and lots of chili paste, and it was packed in the same thing. Looking forward to seeing what we can come up with this weekend.

 

[Sullybob]

Chris, any chance you could get a picture of the cucumbers? It sounds really good.

 

[century]

Cucumber Kimchi vid

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AifEPZZwRkw


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[Oregoneon]

well you guys got me wanting some kimchi, so a batch is in the works. I'll update in a week..

 

[Kentos]

Where is/are the oysters and squid?

I look forward to your update!

 

[mctmatt]

Can someone describe how Kimchi taste is it salty, sour, sweet, and does it have a strong fragrance or odor. What are some of your favorite uses of Kimchi and pairings with other foods? My last question is do you continue to drain the excess liquid from the Kimchi during the fermentation process (not sure if fermentation is actually part of the process) and when it is ready to be used?

 

[century]

Can someone describe how Kimchi taste is it salty, sour, sweet, and does it have a strong fragrance or odor. What are some of your favorite uses of Kimchi and pairings with other foods? My last question is do you continue to drain the excess liquid from the Kimchi during the fermentation process (not sure if fermentation is actually part of the process) and when it is ready to be used?

Its all of the above. Hits every taste.
It can get a little pungent as it ferments in the fridge. Dont drain it, kimchi juice is equally delicious.

You can pair it with anything....stirfry, put it on a burger, make soup with it, put it on noodles...sky is the limit. Have fun.

 

[Lynchmeister]

For the completely uninitiated, does the jarred stuff found next to the tofu and wonton wrappers in the produce section provide a ball park idea of what those in the know call kimchi?

I'm becoming increasingly curious, but cautiously so...to the point where I'd throw a few bucks at a jar, but not quite to the point of making my own, just for the sake of trying it, .

 

[superbleu]

they are not bad, just not as good as mom used to make.
The whiter the cabbage looks the fresher it is, meaning less sour, which is a good place to start.
As it ages, the leaves get more translucent and also more pungent and sour.

 

[Oregoneon]

Where is/are the oysters and squid?

I actually was considering using squid till i re-read the recipe and saw the part about salting the squid for a week first, i figured i'd make do with fish sauce. Maybe next time

 

[Sullybob]

For the completely uninitiated, does the jarred stuff found next to the tofu and wonton wrappers in the produce section provide a ball park idea of what those in the know call kimchi?

I'm becoming increasingly curious, but cautiously so...to the point where I'd throw a few bucks at a jar, but not quite to the point of making my own, just for the sake of trying it, .

I've never had any commercially made kimchi but making it yourself isn't too hard. Plus you can make it as hot as you want it.

 

[casus4844]

I see we have fans of KimChee (김&#52824. I'm currently in Korea now so if anyone is curious about other Kimchee let me know. Just to be a nerd, The KimChee your all cooking is cabbage Kimchee. There is garlic, scallion, Radish, and alot of other ones. Love this thread and keep it going! Plus I love the oyster cabbage kimchee. It's really popular on the coast line and is my favorite.

 

[Kentos]

I see we have fans of KimChee (김&#52824. I'm currently in Korea now so if anyone is curious about other Kimchee let me know. Just to be a nerd, The KimChee your all cooking is cabbage Kimchee. There is garlic, scallion, Radish, and alot of other ones. Love this thread and keep it going! Plus I love the oyster cabbage kimchee. It's really popular on the coast line and is my favorite.

Are you in Pusan?

While I love all ethic foods bar none, Korean food has to be the most intense. Japanese food is all about the subtle flavors of delicate sea food, Korean food is like a left hook to the palate. I love it.

 

[Slowhand]

my first batch was a failure. WAY too salty. couldn't even eat it. i also took a shortcut by using sriracha instead of a homemade paste recipe.

 

[Sullybob]

my first batch was a failure. WAY too salty. couldn't even eat it. i also took a shortcut by using sriracha instead of a homemade paste recipe.

I fond some recipes called for rinsing the salt off of the leaves and then gently squeezing the cabbage to release more moisture. I think that rinsing the excess salt off of the cabbage makes a big difference. My first batch didn't call for rinsing and it was way more salty then my second batch.

 

[Dennis]

Hot, sour, salty, sweet. I love kimchee but never tried making it at home. There was this little hole in the wall place where I used to live that just had the best kimchee - hot, leaning toward fresh and a bit crispy, tangy and tasty. You can make kimchee out of any vegetable and there are as many recipes as people in Korea probably. I like it straight and use it like a side dish. It would probably be pretty good on burgers or dogs too.

 

[Kentos]

Hot, sour, salty, sweet. I love kimchee but never tried making it at home. There was this little hole in the wall place where I used to live that just had the best kimchee - hot, leaning toward fresh and a bit crispy, tangy and tasty. You can make kimchee out of any vegetable and there are as many recipes as people in Korea probably. I like it straight and use it like a side dish. It would probably be pretty good on burgers or dogs too.

Ooh yeah, slightly sour kimchee replacing the kraut on a polish dog. Someone needs to patent it .