At home we always have a jar or two fermenting to stay well stocked. Fermenting for many can seem technical and a little scary even.
However, by following my simplified steps you should have no problem. There are certainly more traditional ways and more traditional ingredients used, but for me this collection of winter ingredients adds a vibrancy and garden sweetness creating a more personalised taste.
Makes 1 litre jar
Preparation time 30min
Fermenting time 5-7 days
Skill Moderate
180g coarse sea salt (good quality), plus an extra 2 tsp
1 chinese cabbage, cut into wedges
3 large leaves silverbeet, sliced into 1cm pieces
2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
2 beetroot, peeled and grated
1 daikon radish (300g) or other radishes, sliced into matchsticks
3 spring onions
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
30-50g Korean chilli peppers (gochugaru)
2 Tbsp fish sauce or coconut aminos (vegan)
1 tsp sugar
Method
Put 1.5 litres of water in a saucepan, add the salt and heat over a moderate heat until the salt has dissolved. Pour into a non-reactive bowl to cool down.
While the brine is cooling, prepare the vegetables. Remove any damaged or discoloured leaves from the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into wedges, remove the core. Then cut the wedges into bite-sized pieces. Cut the silverbeet into similar sized pieces (using the stalk).
Add this to the cooled brine and ensure they are completely covered in the brine. Let sit for 2-3 hours or until the vegetables have wilted. Turn occasionally.
Prepare the remaining ingredients. I ribboned the carrots using a peeler, grated the beetroot, and cut the radish into matchsticks. I like the variation. Now add this to the cabbage mixture and let sit for 30 minutes.
Chop the spring onion and add it to the mixture.
Make the chilli paste by adding the crushed garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, sugar and 150ml water to form a thick paste.
Drain the vegetables, discarding the brine. Rinse the vegetables well, removing any salt. Pat dry and then bundle up in a clean cloth and go outside (optional) and spin it around to remove excess liquid.
Place the vegetables into a clean bowl and massage (gloves advisable) the chilli paste through all the vegetables.
Pack into a sterilised jar or non-reactive vessel. It is very important to pack the ingredients tightly into the jar as you want to remove as much air as possible. You will also need to place a weight on top to keep the ingredients submerged. You will notice liquid will seep and cover the ingredients.
Keep in a cool dark place for at least 5-7 days to ferment. You will need to check on it to ensure the ingredients are submerged. After 5-7 days it should taste slightly sour. When this happens, store it in the refrigerator as this stops fermentation. It will last for months in the fridge.
