Making Kim Chi and Kombucha

  John loves Kim Chi. Usually we make it in a large bottle, but for his birthday recently, he received a fermenting crock from the children, for either sauerkraut or Kim Chi. So this week he got all the ingredients, Chinese Cabbage, Daikon Radish, Korean chilli powder, garlic, spring onions, salt, sugar, ginger, fish sauce.

All Ingredients Plus New Crock.

The cabbage is salted to preserve it and  let the juices run out it, for roughly 2 hours, then washed. Meanwhile the radish and spring onions are cut into matchsticks. All the other ingredients except the chilli is mixed into a paste. Then it is all mixed in together.

 

Kim Chi ready for fermenting.

  
 This mixture is squished into the crock which then is weighted with the special weights that come with the crock, to stop the air hitting the cabbage and causing mould etc. and ferments.

Crock and Weights.

 The Kim Chi is left now for roughly 5 - 7 days, which we then put in glass bottles and keep in the fridge. This will last 3 - 4 months if not eaten. It goes with anything, as a vegetable, so doesn't last that long. Lots of recipes available on the net, so have a go.

Kombucha is a fermented drink made with black tea and a scoby. A scoby is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.

Black  Tea and Scobie.

 This transforms sweet black tea into a very nice drink, after 7 - 14 days depending on the weather. Flavours such as lemon or ginger, orange, pineapple juices etc can be added after you draw it off,  making it delicious, but good for you, being fermented, at the same time. It has a very subtle fizz, a bit less than mineral water. As I don't like fizzy drinks this is ideal for me.
 

This holds 3 litres roughly.

 

Better view of the Scoby inside.

We first tried Kombucha at the Bellingen Markets, icy cold and delicious for a hot day. This bottle and Scoby was another birthday present for John from me.

Needs to be covered while it does its thing.

  Can't wait to try it.

Till next time.