Frugal Friday

[ecosophia]

Welcome back to Frugal Friday!  This is a weekly forum post to encourage people to share tips on saving money, especially but not only by doing stuff yourself. A new post will be going up every Friday, and will remain active until the next one goes up. Contributions will be moderated, of course, and I have some simple rules to offer, which have changed as we've proceeded. (As things have settled down to a nice steady conversational pace, for example, I've deleted the rules about only one tip per person per week and about limiting the length of comments; I was worried early on about people flooding the forum with too much too fast, but I think we're past that risk.)

Rule #1:  this is a place for polite, friendly conversations about how to save money in difficult times. It's not a place to post news, views, rants, or emotional outbursts about the reasons why the times are difficult and saving money is necessary. Nor is it a place to use a money saving tip to smuggle in news, views, etc.  I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #2:  this is not a place for you to sell goods or services, period. Here again, I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #3:  please give your tip a heading that explains briefly what it's about.  Homemade Chicken Soup, Garden Containers, Cheap Attic Insulation, and Vinegar Cleans Windows are good examples of headings. That way people can find the things that are relevant for them. If you don't put a heading on your tip it will be deleted.

Rule #4: don't post anything that would amount to advocating criminal activity. Any such suggestions will not be put through.

With that said, have at it!

Comments

How to make kimchi?

[(Anonymous)]

I have tried sauerkraut with no success. I grow lots of vegetables, like winter radishes which should be good fermented. Is it necessary to use Asian cabbage, which is crisp, but still softer than the European and American varieties? Can someone please explain the procedure for kimchi?

Mary Bennett

Re: How to make kimchi?

[ecosophia]

My recipe has been posted here:

https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/254241.html?thread=44729377#cmt44729377

Enjoy!

Re: How to make kimchi?

[michele7]

Here's a recipe for radish kimchi from Maangchi's website. She has lots of other kimchi recipes including mustard green kimchi (for those of us in the South who like our mustard greens.) She has written and video instructions. My only caveat is you use less red pepper flakes than she calls for and taste it. I use one of her recipes and use 1 cup of red pepper flakes instead of 2 1/2 cups. It's plenty spicy! You can add more if it's not spicy enough. Good luck!

https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kkakdugi

Re: How to make kimchi?

[(Anonymous)]

Mary, when I make sauerkraut I just let the already existing bacteria on the cabbage do the work. But if you want to guarantee a good fast fermentation (any food that can be eaten raw can be fermented)just use the liquid that surfaces on yogurt or sour cream or even an old ferment, it is full of the bacteria that does the work. Of course using organic product is the best source.

My kimchi is made from whatever excess is in the garden when the frost comes. Putting Whole hot peppers in the mix (so they can be removed by those who don't want them) really livens up the dish.

The brine I use is 60-90 ml (4-6 tblsp) sea salt per litre (quart) of water. DO NOT USE chlorinated water or iodized salt since they are both anti-microbial.

Re: How to make kimchi?

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you to all for the responses and recipes. I may have used the wrong salt. Is fish sauce essential?

Re: How to make kimchi?

[ecosophia]

No, I never use fish sauce. I don't like the flavor it adds.

Re: How to make kimchi?

[michele7]

I think I've seen recipes replace the fish sauce with tamari or soy sauce. I use Squid brand fish sauce and like that for our kimchi.

Re: How to make kimchi?

[temporaryreality]

I made kkakdugi a few weeks ago - in an odd-sounding but tasty base of pureed onion and pureed apple - and it was really good.

Since we harvested a whole lot of daikons, I also just substituted daikon roots and greens for all the napa cabbage in a generic kimchi recipe. Worked very well.. kimchi is very versatile. There are lots of recipes online, but the basic gist is to salt or brine your base vegetable for some time (~6 hrs), rinse, add fish sauce and/or fermented shrimp if you can get that - I've also had kimchi with clams in it, before - add carrots and onions if desired, then make a rice-flour paste to which you add dried Korean pepper flakes. Mix all together, let it sit out for up to 24 hours before refrigerating...

I think Kor3ans approach kimchi recipes the way Texans do chili... everyone is partial to their own..