• Start a personal food blog, or, start a community food thread for all.

Habanero Kimchi

A few more days fermenting and time to enjoy. Not traditional but close enough for me. This batch is going to like fire as it's made with red habanero flakes​
6815566788_ed12dc4d25.jpg
 
Your're making kimchi? Willingly? I recall a coworker brought that in one day, and someone on the other side of the floor complained of the stench. More power to you, my friend!
 
Oh man, that looks great! Where did you get the container with the fermentation lock? That'd be awesome for pickles and kraut!

My mouth drools.
 
You can make kimchi from just about any vegetable. I think the Koreans pickle almost everything they grow. Before cheap refrigerators I think it was the only way they had to stretch out the harvest. Sandor Ellix Katz' book "Wild Fermentation" has a basic recipe and goes into the health benefits of kimchi. I like the recipes in Hi Soo Shin Heppinstal's book "Growing Up In A Korean Kitchen". Up to now I've just been using my own Gochu peppers, and if you leave the seeds in when you flake up the dried pods they've got quite a kick. I've got Habs planted this year, so I think I'll give it a try too.
 
... Sandor Ellix Katz' book "Wild Fermentation" ...

I'll give another +1 to that book. I'm going to have to get myself a copy eventually and quit taking the chance my library has it in when I need it. I haven't read "Growing Up In A Korean Kitchen," but it's now on my list.
 
Oh man, that looks great! Where did you get the container with the fermentation lock? That'd be awesome for pickles and kraut!

My mouth drools.
Your local homebrew store should have the airlock and grommet. All you need to do is drill a hole, 3/8 mabye.

Please share your recipe. That kimchi looks awesome!!
 
Recipe is pretty basic

1/2 head napa cabbage chopped 1in squares
1/3c red hab flakes
1tbsp kosher salt
2cloves minced garlic
1tsp sugar

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl then transfer to 32oz ball jar. Pack firmly into jar to remove air pockets. Ferment for 4-7days. Sunday will be 7days and the taste test.

The airlock and grommets I got off ebay, plastic lid from the hardware store. The airless environment is supposed to ferment faster. The thing I like most is no mold, so no lose of precious cargo. I did a comparison making kraut, one with an airlock one w/o. After 14 days there was a significant amount of mold on the jar w/o the lock. Also the locked jar had better flavor
 
I did a comparison making kraut, one with an airlock one w/o. After 14 days there was a significant amount of mold on the jar w/o the lock.
What kind of mold did you get? I made sauerkraut this fall according to directions. I was warned that I might get a scum of white mold on top of the brine, but as long as the cabbage didn't bob up into the air, all I had to do was to skim off and discard the mold and the cabbage below would be unaffected. That very thing came to pass. After I skimmed off the mold it didn't make a re-appearance, and the cabbage was unaffected. I didn't use a vapor lock... just put a china plate on top of the cabbage, a gallon sized glass jug full of water for a weight on the plate and a plastic shopping bag over the pail to keep the dust out. I make my kimchi the same way, but never had the mold on top of that. .
 
Your're making kimchi? Willingly? I recall a coworker brought that in one day, and someone on the other side of the floor complained of the stench. More power to you, my friend!

:lol:
There is a HUGE difference in fresh made kimchee to the brand name (Sun Luck? I think) stuff you buy in a jar at the supermarket. Fresh made is not stinky at all. It has a fermented smell, just like anything has a smell when it's fermenting.

NorCal's recipe looks like it packs a serious punch with that much habs. I like to add shredded carrots and green onions to the mix also.
 
:lol:
There is a HUGE difference in fresh made kimchee to the brand name (Sun Luck? I think) stuff you buy in a jar at the supermarket. Fresh made is not stinky at all. It has a fermented smell, just like anything has a smell when it's fermenting.

NorCal's recipe looks like it packs a serious punch with that much habs. I like to add shredded carrots and green onions to the mix also.

When my coworker opened up the kimchi, our boss actually threatened him with a writeup if he ever brought it in again, so it was the latter most likely. It also took two weeks to get that smell out of my work clothes...
 
When my coworker opened up the kimchi, our boss actually threatened him with a writeup if he ever brought it in again, so it was the latter most likely. It also took two weeks to get that smell out of my work clothes...

That must have been some bad stuff. I can't say that I remember kimchi smelling any worse than mild sauerkraut and spices.

I've been told that I'm no longer allowed to eat Kipper Snacks at work. I have to admit though, they do have a very strong smell.
 
:lol:
There is a HUGE difference in fresh made kimchee to the brand name (Sun Luck? I think) stuff you buy in a jar at the supermarket. Fresh made is not stinky at all. It has a fermented smell, just like anything has a smell when it's fermenting.

NorCal's recipe looks like it packs a serious punch with that much habs. I like to add shredded carrots and green onions to the mix also.
There IS a huge difference in homemade kimchi and commercial. Mine is a little stronger than some because I put garlic, ginger, scallions, fresh peppers, salted shrimp and chopped oysters in mine as well as the gochu flakes and rice flour, but it doesn't have any off odors... just a faint aroma of the sea. My wife doesn't go for the seafood, so I make it for her without, and I substitute nori flakes instead.

That must have been some bad stuff. I can't say that I remember kimchi smelling any worse than mild sauerkraut and spices.

I've been told that I'm no longer allowed to eat Kipper Snacks at work. I have to admit though, they do have a very strong smell.
Let me guess... does one of your co-workers have "environmental sensitivities"?
 
Let me guess... does one of your co-workers have "environmental sensitivities"?

Oh, no. Oddly enough, it wasn't the one with the "environmental sensitivities," but rather the one who sits closest to the kitchen where I left my Kipper Trash to sit all day in the garbage. Doesn't matter, it was still tasty :D
 
Back
Top