Rhubarb Kimchi

Ingredients

• 1 small napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage)
• 1 daikon radish
• 5 large spring onions
• 6-8 small-medium sized rhubarb stalks
• sea salt
• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chilli paste) – or alternatively, a mix of miso paste or soy sauce with sriracha
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Method

This recipe uses lactic acid fermentation, so you’ll need to weigh the vegetables and calculate 2% of their weight to determine the correct amount of salt. For example, if the vegetables weigh 1100 g, you would add 22 g of salt.

Slice the vegetables and add them to a mixing bowl.

Weigh out the salt and sprinkle it over the vegetables, then massage it in. The vegetables will start to release water. Add the sugar, along with grated ginger, garlic and gochujang. Massage everything again until the vegetables are thoroughly coated.

Spoon the kimchi into sterilised jars, pressing the vegetables down so that the flavoursome brine covers the vegetables entirely.

Place the jars somewhere dark and cool.

Open the jars at least once a day (2-3 times is ideal) to release the gas produced during fermentation. Press the vegetables down again each time, if needed.

Enjoy the kimchi after 3-5 days of fermenting. The longer it’s left, the tangier and more complex the flavour will become. After that, transfer it to the fridge to slow down the fermentation and prevent it from becoming too sour.