These items are two of my favorite things to keep in the refrigerator these days. First is the concoction in the jar on the right. It's a simplistic mix of slices lemons and honey that have been stored in the jar for several days to "brew". Once the lemons release their juice into the honey, the delightful syrup can be added to a mug, and then I pour boiling water over it and allow it to steep for five or more minutes. It is the perfect soothing beverage for cold winter mornings! And, if you're feeling adventurous, you can add any combination of fresh ginger, whole cinnamon sticks, clove, or anything else that suits your fancy.
Delightful!
The second jar is a quick kimchi (not the authentic Korean "bury it in the ground" kind). I found the recipe in (you probably guessed it) Nourishing Traditions. It is a Korean sauerkraut. Basically, you shred up some carrots and ginger, add sliced green onion, minced garlic cloves, crushed red peppers, and chopped green or red cabbage. Pound the whole batch of vegetables relentlessly on your counter (I use a meat hammer and really take out some frustration!) to get them to release their natural juices. Add copious amounts of salt (Brittany Gray or Celtic is recommended, for the mineral content), and mix together more. Then you stuff it into a wide mouth Mason jar and pound it down with a dowel, the handle of a spatula, or even your hand. Just keep mashing it into the container until all the juices from the vegetables rise to the top of the jar (all of the ingredients need to be fully submerged in the brine or mold will grow on them).
Then you cover the jar with a lid (but don't worry about it being super tight - the fermentation process will release gas and cause a huge pressure build-up in the jar). You can even cover it with a dishcloth or other breathable material in lieu of a lid. You leave it on your countertop at room temperature for 3 to 7 days. It takes longer if your kitchen is a colder temperature; quicker if it is warm. Periodically check to make sure that all the ingredients are still submerged in the brine - if you don't have enough brine to submerge it fully, then you can add some water as necessary (use pure water, not tap water - the chlorine can greatly hinder the fermentation process and can lead to disastrous results!).
After several days, it will start to taste and smell like vinegar (if you've done it correctly). Some people recommend using a vegetable fermenting starter culture; some people use whey (as long as it has the active bacteria in it). Some recommend avoiding the salt altogether, and simply use the culture instead.
Okay, so by now you may be thinking, "Seriously, Doody? You just leave that sit for days? And you expect me to eat that?! Will I die?" Truth is, yes there is some chance of contamination - the mixture can grow mold (which is harmless, and can simply be skimmed off of the top and thrown away or put in your compost heap). There is also a chance of the ever-dreaded botulism if your fermentation doesn't work properly.
Here's how it all works: when you add salt to the vegetables, the salt in the brine temporarily protects the jar-o-goodness from any bacteria. It prevents the bacteria from developing for a short while. That buys you enough time for the vegetables and brine to ferment. Once the fermentation process has begun, "good" bacteria (see: lacto-fermentation), form in the brine and fight off any "bad" bacteria that could try to develop in the food.
When you eat a modern jar of pickles, you're getting some cucumber slices that have been treated with vinegar to prevent them from going bad while the slices ferment and become squishy. However, you lose valuable nutrients as well as the beneficial bacteria you could have gained in a true fermentation process. The process of fermenting the kimchi makes a sort of vinegar on its own, and actually boosts the nutritional content of the vegetables. That's right - your body will actually be able to get, retain, and use more vitamins from this fermentation process than what was originally in a raw carrot or raw cabbage (which are pretty healthy to begin with).
You will determine how long you want your kimchi to ferment. The longer it sits out (up to 7 days, typically), the more vinegary it will taste. If you want it to have a stronger flavor, you let it sit out for 12 hours, and taste it again. If you taste it and it seems like it is getting too pungent for your liking, then you just put it in the fridge to stop the process.
The beauty of it is that this jar (or jars, if you make a large batch like I do) of kimchi will keep in the fridge for a really long time (we're talking like up to 6 months ish). It's used like a sauerkraut - can serve it on crackers, with bread, meat, on bratwurst, or can even mix it with other vegetables for a salad. The good bacteria in it will help your intestines (the same way yogurt does), and the brine will also help your body break down other foods better.
So can this honestly be a dangerous food to make? Yes. Like I said, if the fermentation doesn't occur properly, the conditions will be ripe for molds and bacteria like botulism to grow. But I've not had any problems with it thus far, and the deliciousness makes this a risk I'm willing to take!
Feel free to peruse the internets for more information on the fermentation process and for more fermenting recipes! If you find something amazing, you can most certainly post it in the comments section below - I'd be glad to check it out!
Thanks for reading!
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