How to Make Cucumber Kimche

My brother served as a missionary in Japan for two years. When he returned he brought back a Kim Che or Kim Chi maker. Kim Chi is a fermented food that can be made from a variety of vegetables. This is a recipe for Cucumber Kim Chi. There are claims that eating fermented food is good for you because it can lower the level of fat in the blood and strengthen the heart thus helping improve circulation. Some research suggests that it can help improve digestion, detoxify the intestines and help with constipation. Because it is high in vitamin C it helps boost the immune system. If you like sauerkraut you will most likely want to try this.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 2 English cucumbers
• 1 small onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon rock salt
• 1 tsp dried pepper flakes
• sesame oil

1. Wash and slice 2 English cucumbers. [They are the long hothouse cukes that are sometimes covered in shrinkwrap. They are often referred to as "burpless".]
2. Thinly slice a small onion; cutting slices in half. [Scallions or green onions can be used if you prefer.]
3. Mince a good sized clove of garlic.
4. Toss all this into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt [rock salt] and 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes. If you have an Asian grocery supply source you can purchase a chile flake called gocho-karu that is a bit stronger and more colorful but the more common red pepper flakes like you add to pizza will do. Coat the mixture with a few drops of sesame oil.
5. Put this in a glass jar. Cover but at this stage do not tighten the lid. Some people will let it sit out on the counter for two days to start to ferment but I have a fetish about things sitting out on my counter and I refrigerate it after a few hours. If it sits out on the counter the liquid will pick up natural occurring yeast in the air which starts the fermenting process. Whichever you decide is fine. The salt will pull the liquid out of the onions and cucumbers and will make a brine. The longer it sits the stronger the brine will become.
6. Once it is refrigerated make sure that you keep the lid tight. The Kim Chi will last a LONG time...unless you eat it all up first!
7. example of a Kim Chi maker from The Raw Diet Health Store If you prefer a Kim Chi maker can be purchased. The advantage to a maker is that they come with an air lock that keeps bad bacteria out of the brine. Just do a google search using the words "kim chi maker" and different ones will pop up.