Sauerkraut

[Nirvana]

I haven't tried my hand at making my own kefir because I personally dislike the taste of the store-bought kefir.

Haven't tried sauerkraut either but making it sounds simple. Has anyone here tried making it?

Can I use a glass jar? I read that sometimes mold forms on the top. That bothers me a little. Don't we just throw away things that have mold on them :o

Kefir is not an option at the moment. This sauerkraut thing looks easy but no idea how it tastes.

Experienced fermenters chip in and bail me out.

[TanyaL]

I've made kimchee, seems like it should be fairly similar. I use the recipe in Nourishing Traditions minus the whey, and I use one of Sandor Katz's methods, which is an open top, just covered with secured cheesecloth. I push the veggies under the level of the liquid every day, 2x/day in the summer because my kitchen is pretty warm in the summer (80-85F). When I push it down regularly, it doesn't get moldy. I'll often skim off the bubbly white stuff that gathers near the edge of the container too.

I like the garlic-ginger flavor of the kimchee. I don't make it terribly spicy, the recipe I use has a spiciness level that's comfortable for a mainstream American palate.

[ema-adama]

Tanya, I would love your kimchee recipe, with detailed instructions on how you make it. My friend is married to a Korean and she makes the yummiest kimchee, but goes to the asian arket to get her ingredients (they live in a different country from me).
How do you start it?

[TanyaL]

I do it like this. It's not a traditional method (Sandor Katz's book Wild Fermentation has a much more traditional method) but the ingredients are relatively similar (I'm not Korean, if I were, I'd probably feel differently).

makes 2 quarts

1 head napa cabbage, shredded [note: napa cabbage sizes vary widely, you may be a bit short of 2 quarts]
1 bunch gr onions, chopped (I use white or yellow)
1 cup carrots, grated
1/2 c daikon radish, grated (optional)
1T fresh grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/t tsp dried chile flakes
1 T sea salt
4T whey (optional, I don't use this, I hear it makes things slimy)

Mix all the ingredients. The salt will draw out juice, and you can either pound the veggies to help this process or do it the lazy (Tanya) way and cut up the cabbage the night before, add salt, weigh it down and leave it in the frig overnight, then add the rest of the ingredients. I've found that leaving it sitting on the counter with a weight for a few hours also works.

Pack this into quart size mason jars or a 1/2 gal jar, leave *at least* 1" of head room for expansion, the fermentation will create CO2 bubbles and the kimchee will expand. Cover jars with cheesecloth held on with a ring, and let it ferment a few days, how many depends on the temp in your kitchen (start tasting after 2-3 days and stop when you like the flavor). And push the veggies under the level of the liquid at least 1x/day, 2x/day in the summer if your kitchen is warm.

[Seaweed]

There is a book called something like the korean kitchen? I will look it up later which has loads of kimchee recipes in.

[ema-adama]

Thanks. That sounds yummy

[Seaweed]

It's actually called "growing up in a korean kitchen" by hisoo shin hepinstall
http://www.amazon.com/Growing-up-Korean-Kitchen-Cookbook/dp/1580082815/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251356346&sr=1-2
My library has it.

ETA I found this one as well on amazon which looks good on the look inside
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Morning-Kimchi-Different-Traditional/dp/1565912160/ref=pd_sim_b_14#

[deesalie]

My grandparents after the war in Germany made a lot of sauerkraut. They have told me how to make it but I'm yet to give it a go... mostly due to the fact that I've had too much sauerkraut over the course of my life. They used to keep the cabbage in big barrels (like wine barrels) with something heavy on top to compress it. Apparently it does form a scunge on top but you just scrape it off. They'd add grated carrot, bay leaves, peppercorns and other bits and pieces which escape me atm.

I must really write their experience down. They were the king and queen of subsistence living.

[ema-adama]

Wow, my first batch of kimchi is YUMMY! I wasn't expecting much, but it is seriously yummy - and strong.

Now I just need a solution to my storage problem :o How do you store fermented veggies if you don't have space in your fridge, and you live in a hot, humid climate?

[TanyaL]

You buy a cheap used frig for the garage (if you have one).

Though I do know someone nearby (Texas Gulf Coast region, so fairly hot and humid) who kept a large batch of sauerkraut on their kitchen counter and ate it over the course of a month. It slowly got more tart as the days went by, but they enjoyed it. I think they had to keep skimming the white stuff from the top daily though.

Not the most convenient solutions, I admit. I bought half-gallon mason jars that don't take up too much room, in terms of footprint, in the frig and I make up just a few at a time, but it means that we run out of kimchee regularly. Also not an ideal solution.