Homemade Kimchi

So, what’s the deal with fermented stuff and why would anyone want to eat it?

Fermented things are pickles, pickled vegetables, kimchee, kefir, sauerkraut, sourdough bread starter, rejuvelac, kombucha, yogurt, etc. These are all kinds of different items that we can make in our homes and as they ferment, they are enriched with helpful yeasts and bacterias from the air, such as the all-important Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Sure you can buy these products from the store, but then they will be pasteurized and it’s questionable how many of the good germs survive the process. All of those good bacteria help us with proper digestion and keep harmful diseases and other bacteria in control.

In fact, whatever my problem is health wise at the moment, is probably due to some of the bad guys who have run rampant and done some damage. Most digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s, IBS, ulcer, Colitis, chronic diarrhea, bloating and gas, leaky gut syndrome, food allergies and intolerances, parasitic infection, Celiac, Candida, and even some cancers, often take hold in a poor digestive flora environment.

If you were not breastfed, have taken a lot of antibiotics in your life, have eaten a poor diet with lots of sugar and processed foods, or have been on hormonal birth control for a long time, you too may have an imbalance in your gut bacteria.

I have long wanted to try making some of these items and getting sick has been the impetus to get on it. Here we have some sourdough starter bubbling along…

and here is some kimchee

Kimchee

1 head cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 T ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 green onion, chopped
5 cups water
2 T sea salt
2 tsp natural sweetener (optional – I didn’t use any)

In a large non-metallic bowl, combine cabbage, water, 1 1/2 T salt, and carrots. Set aside for 12 hours. Remove the cabbage and carrots from the soaking liquid and put them into a jar. To the liquid, add the remaining salt, ginger, garlic, scallions and sweetener is using. Pour this over the veggies. Cover the jar with cheesecloth secured with a rubber band and let side 3-7 days. Eat a little bit as a digestive aid with your meals.