Easy Kimchi Recipe | Simple Fermentation (2024)

Kimchi was the final fermented food that I had been yearning to make, had tried several times, but had yet to find success…until now. I was testing out easy kimchi recipes as I will be introducing some fermented foods into the revised Culinary Nutrition Expert program. I also have a super awesome recipe to share for Kimchi Sushi Rolls and thought I best first work out how to make this elusive traditional Korean delight.I was at my usual organic grocer, owned by a Korean family. I mentioned needing daikon for my kimchi and the women at the checkout were all excited that I was going to attempt this. I asked what their best tips were. They both giggled and told me their best tip was to buy some already made.The traditions of traditional foods are being lost by many, while people like me and my friends at Well Preserved andNourished Kitchen(just two of the many traditional food blogs I love) do our best to uphold a little of the goodness from “the old country” – whatever and whose ever old country that may be. It’s important. And when it comes to fermented foods, it’s mightyimportant.I have written often in the last year about the powerful benefits of fermented foods for our digestive health, immune health, and even brain health (which is directly connected to the health of our gut). But when I go to buy fermented foods, especially kimchi, it’s hard to know exactly what’s in there. So many kimchi recipes I looked at called for shrimp paste, or korean spice blends. And you know I like to know what I’m eating.And so, in the last year, I have begun to make all of my own ferments – whether it’s coconut kefir, saurkraut, kombucha, and now, I am proud to say, I have succeeded with kimchi.The recipe I used was inspired by this one from my dear friend (whom I’ve yet to meet but any friend of Joel and Dana’s is a friend of mine), Marisa of Food in Jars. I loved her version as it didn’t use any pre-made spice blends or pastes.It used only the super potent, smelly and strong ingredients to set the flavour, including daikon radish, green onion, garlic, ginger and chillies. Shazaam. That is medicinal power, not to mention a gorgeous rainbow of goodness.It took some time to slice, dice and prep, which I did all by hand in the spirit of traditional foods, but I would totally use a food processor next time around. I am all into tradition, but we might as well shake what mama gave us – or use the appliances that make for less work and mess.I massaged the bejesus out of this mix until it got soft and juicy. Packed it into a jar, and let it sit for about five days. It started to foam at one point but I just scraped that off and let is sit a few days more until it was soft, fermented and, I gotta say, so delicious!And so here is my super easy, almost fool-proof, kimchi recipe. I sayalmost fool proof as you really can’t give any guarantees when it comes to fermentation. Every go around is an experiment. That’s just part of the fun.Print

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