Monday, June 22, 2009

kimchi

and a new camera, and a new table cloth, and a new attitude: the new attitude is called "spunk," and the new camera is called "punk," and the new table cloth is called "slam dunk." All very simple names, like kimchi, a simple name with a simple definition. According to various slags and slobs on the internet, kimchi means "vegetables soaked in salt water," and that's precisely how you begin making it. See above.

And this is what it looks like before you put it to bed in a cool, dark place for several days. A freezer bag full of brine shoved down the throat of the jar keeps the air out.

Instructions:

Clean and chop your vegetable and soak it overnight in a non-reactive vessel full of brine. Put a plate or something similar on top of the briny vegetable concoction so that the vegetable is complete submerged, i.e. no air in our out.

In the morning, or in the afternoon, or whenever, remove and drain vegetable, and reserve brine. Mix vegetable with other ingredient (here, chili flake, green onion, minced ginger, 1 tsp salt) and pack into jar. Pour brine over mixture to cover.

Finally, fill freezer bags, or alternate device, with brine, get air out, and shove bag into the throat of your jars until a bit of brine squirts out along with the air in the jar. Rest the jars in a cool, dark place for three to six days, and check on them for scum formation. Skim scum, add more brine.

Peace

1 comment:

Margui said...

Finally! A recipe! a new towel (so dark, though, more autumn-like, you move forward man)
We love you! We love you!