The Nourisher - Editor’s Blog

During his journeys mid 20th century, Weston Price discovered several similarites between the primitive cultures he studied. One such similarity is the use of fermented food. The reason for this was not just a lack of modern refrigeration. Fermented foods provide our bodies with a bounty of health promoting bacteria. Predigestion of the foodstuffs deliver higher nutritional value and disable any antinutrients present, saving our digestive aparatus further labour.

This recipe is based on one from Sally Fallon’s book, Nourishing Traditions.

• 1 head cabbage, Wombok (chinese cabbage) is best but any cabbage will do.
• 1 bunch shallots
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup grated daikon radish (can use ordinary radish or omit)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes and/or 1 teaspoon fresh chilli, finely chopped, use chilli to your taste.
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (fine ground)
• 4 tablespoons whey made fresh from raw milk, leave raw milk on the bench it will turn to cheese and whey within a few days (if fresh whey is not available just add another tablespoon of sea salt)

Shred or grate the cabbage. Wombok ferments well just shredded while other harder cabbages need to be chopped up a little more or grated. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder or meat tenderising hammer. We use a pick handle in a bucket when we ferment alot at once. Pound until the vegetables release their juices, so that when the mixture is in the pickling jar or crock and pressed down firmly, the juices cover the vegetables. Some recipes only use brine (salt water) covering the vegetables. We find crushing the mix helps it ferment quicker and we are always in a hurry to get into our next batch of kimchi. Grated and crushed sauerkrauts are also easier to feed to the kids. We hide sauerkraut in the mashed potatoes.

Press the mixture firmly into the jar or crock and leave at least an inch to the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 3 days before transfering to the fridge. If you are using recycled jars make sure you used plastic lidded ones.

It will taste good after this initial ferment but in two weeks it will taste better. It’s a matter of taste but if you can keep from eating it Kimchi at the 4 month mark is Divine.

About the Author...

Joanne Hay, Editor of Nourished Magazine, Chief Nourisher and Mother of three is very grateful to live in Byron Bay and be able to share all she has learned about Nourishment. She has trained as an Acupuncturist (unfinished), Kinesiologist (finished) and parent (never finished). She serves the Weston A Price Foundation as a chapter leader. She loves sauerkraut, kangaroo tail stew, home made ice cream, her husband Wes and her kids Isaiah, Brynn and Ronin (in no particular order…well maybe ice cream first).