Kimchi And Fermented Vegetables How To And Why

I'm sold on the cabbage but I might try spicing it up at bit with some peppers.

 

Where did you find the lids? I think I might like to try this.

 

Haha! I swear, I will get those beets sometime this summer, lol. I think there's only one place that I can buy them around here, and I need to figure a way to remind myself to get them the next time I'm there. Maybe I'll order some seeds and grow them!

 

Lucy's lids are the way to go, if you can get them. However, if you can't(or you are a skinflint, like me), you might try this route...
http://www.hipforums.com/forum/topic/470300-kimchi-and-fermented-vegetables-how-to-and-why/?p=7787106

 

Cool, thanks!

 

I got it from a company called FarmCurious on sale when they were starting out. Amazon carries them now and I see that different vendors are selling them. Just search "fermenting kits". I'm not handy like Expanse is, but if you can't find a sale then making your own is a good option.

 

But will you remember to order the seeds?

That forgetfulness is really becoming a problem! (I think your boss wants a word with you.)

 

Lol, that pic is not far from reality.

I'm going to order seeds as soon as I log out

 

So, first experiment with the Pickle Crisp and cabbage. I sampled a jar of cabbage without any salt, only the Pickle Crisp. It was on the shelf in the cold room for 3-1/2 weeks. It's very crunchy. I'd say the Pickle Crisp is a success. Though the real test will be the kohlrabi when it's done. In this batch of cabbage I left the seeds in the hot pepper that I put in the jar, so it's got a nice kick to it. I took out the pepper so the cabbage doesn't keep getting hotter. It's at just the right spiciness at the moment. I'm glad it turned out well, I've got 3 jars of the stuff!

 

I made a couple of jars of red cabbage today. I don't think I've ever fermented red alone. I hope it's not too strong a taste for fermenting. I used both salt (1 tsp per 2 litre jar) and the Pickle Crisp in this batch.

 

I tried the dill kohlrabi that I put the Pickle Crisp into (left on the shelf for 3 weeks). Alas, it was pretty soft. So the Pickle Crisp didn't help much. Not complete mush, but it lost most of its crunch. So I'll have to stick with 1-1/2 to 2 weeks for kohlrabi. It seems to maintain crispness once it's in the fridge. A bit disappointing, I was hoping I could leave it to ferment longer.

 

Thanks for the update and useful info Lucy!

I think I'm going to start a few new batches of kohlrabi and turnips, and some traditional kimchi next week. I'll use pickle crisp in the kohlrabi and turnips, and I'll throw in some grape leaves to see if that helps keep them firm. I'll report bavk on my findings

I've got little kohlrabi and turnip seedlings popping up now. Hopefully I'll have plenty to ferment in a bit. In the meant time I'll have to keep buying them at the grocery.

 

Yes, do report back. If you're going to attempt the experiment you'll have to ferment it for 3 or 4 weeks. That's when it tends to get soft. It would be nice to find something that helps with the crispness. I might try another small jar with more Pickle Crisp.

Nice that you'll be growing your own. I wish I could do that here. But I'm glad our store has been getting in a steady supply.

 

I'll make several jars, fermenting each for a different time period(minimum of 3 weeks).

I'll see If i can find a kohlrabi crispiness meter somewhere. If they are too expensive, or difficult to use, I'll just give subjective results based on mastication of the test material.

 

I took the hot peppers off the shelf today (which were actually sweet red peppers with 4 habaneros in the jar as well). They were nice and spicy. I took the habaneros out before putting the jar in the fridge, I don't want the red peppers getting any hotter. They tasted good but were too soft at 3-1/2 weeks, even with the Pickle Crisp. I'll ferment them for only 2 weeks from now on.

I also took off another jar of the cabbage with the Pickle Crisp only. At 4-1/2 weeks, even without salt, it's very crispy. Seems like the Pickle Crisp works well with only certain vegetables. Good with cabbage and pickles, not very helpful with kohlrabi or peppers. I may try small jars of both using more Pickle Crisp to see if that makes a difference. I might need to borrow Expanse's kohlrabi crispiness meter to be sure!

 

I finally got to fermenting more kohlrabi. I'm not bothering with the Pickle Crisp since it didn't do much for the kohlrabi and I think it may be slowing the fermenting process. The cabbage I made with it isn't as tangy as usual. So I just put in the 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the 1 litre jars and one teaspoon in the 2L. I stuck to the mustard seed and fresh dill, but put in one Thai Chili pepper in each jar this time. Those suckers are pretty hot, just below habaneros, so one is more than enough.

 

Expanse must still be hunting for the kohlrabi crispness meter. I hope he didn't get blown up!

I'm behind in my reports. Here's a bit of catch up.

I took a jar of kohlrabi off the shelf a couple of weeks ago. Well now I'm baffled. I thought it would have gone soft like last time, because it was past the time I should have left it to ferment. But it was still crunchy. Very crunchy in fact. This batch had only the bit of salt, no Pickle Crisp. So it's either that the kohlrabi wasn't very fresh last time, or that the room was too warm. I think it's the freshness factor because one of the jars of cabbage was softer than usual and it was in the cold room too. It was an older looking cabbage that someone picked up for me, so I'm leaning toward that deduction.

It makes sense because the same thing happened with my pickles. When I used the fresh pickling cukes you get at the end of the season (I got mine at the farmer's market) they stayed crisp, compared to the mini cukes from the supermarket that have been lying around who knows how long, that ended up mushy.

Today I took the second jar of kohlrabi off the shelf and it's crunchy too and it was on the shelf for 4-1/2 weeks! Yet another jar of green cabbage is soft. The yellow hot peppers that I jarred at the same time as the green cabbage are crispy and delicious. It's hard to get decent cabbages here in the winter. I may have to stick with red cabbage, they seem to be fresher. They must keep better than the green.

 

That's really good info!

I totally forgot to get some kohlrabi to make new batches. I do have some kohlrabi growing right now that should be ready to harvest soon though. I bought some Napa several weeks ago to make kimchi, but I didn't have a chance to make it before the Napa went bad.

I won't have a chance to try a ferment for a week, at the earliest. I need to set a reminder on my phone to do it on one of my next free days.

I read somewhere online about dehydrating sauerkraut that went soft but was still edible. I guess it could be eaten like a snack. I wonder of the same could be done with soft kohlrabi.

Lucy, I'm jealous of your fermenting!

 

Interesting. Though I guess the process would kill most of the probiotics. And the Vitamin C, which heat destroys. But if it would go to waste anyway, then might as well try it. Not sure I'd want to eat it as a snack, but it would be good to have on hand for soups and other cooked meals. I'll still eat it even though it's soft. Not as tasty but it still has the probiotics which is the main reason I make it.

I made more hot peppers today. They're actually sweet red peppers with a few habaneros in each jar. I made them that way the last time and they were delicious. And all that Vitamin C! I usually only use bell peppers in cooking and again, most of the Vitamin C is killed by the heat. So fermenting peppers is perfect. I actually haven't been fermenting too much. I only have two bigger jars of red cabbage on the shelf now. I'm trying not to make too much at once, since I have to limit my intake now. Not enough room in the fridge to store too much, then it goes soft from fermenting on the shelf too long. I'll probably start a couple more jars of dill kohlrabi next week since I've got the last two in the fridge now. I'll wait another few weeks to start more cabbage.

 

Beautiful.

Next week, I'm going to get back into putting up the cabbage I love. Hubby has jury duty this coming week so I'll be slammed taking care of grandkids and pets by myself.