Apple and Ginger Kimchi

As it’s Food Waste Action Week, what better way to elongate the shelf life of fresh ingredients than fermenting them? Gut health is incredibly important, and this apple and ginger kimchi, using unsuspecting ingredients, is the perfect addition to meat, fish, and rice dishes.

Here’s a recipe from City Harvest CEO and British apple queen, Sarah Calcutt.

Apple and ginger Kimchi

This really couldn’t be simpler to make and gets better the longer you leave it (try to leave it for at least 5 days). You can leave out the fish sauce but it adds quite a lot of flavour, it’s the smell that’s not for everyone.

Ingredients:

1 Chinese cabbage (or ½ round white cabbage chopped really finely)

1 grated British apple (try firm, tart apples like Braeburn or Cox for this recipe)

2 crushed cloves of garlic

2.5cm/1inch piece of ginger, grated

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce or chilli paste (e.g. Gochujang)

1 tbsp of castor sugar

3 tbsp rice or cider vinegar

2 radishes cut into matchsticks

2 carrots, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks (you may want grated carrot but be careful how wet your kimchi starter is)

spring onions shredded

1 tbsp sea salt

1 litre Kilner jar (or similar) jar with sealed lid

Method:

1. Chinese cabbage – slice into 2.5 cm strips. Place in a bowl and mix with the salt, put on one side for an hour.

2. Make the kimchi paste – blend the garlic, ginger, fish sauce, chilli, sugar and vinegar together in a small bowl.

3. Rinse the cabbage under cold running water, drain and dry with a clean tea towel.

4. Put the cabbage + the paste into a large bowl and stir in the radishes, ginger, apple, spring onion and carrots.

5. You can serve it straight away or pack it into a large jar, seal and leave it at room temperature until tomorrow. Then place it in the fridge.

6. Your Kimchi will keep for up to two weeks and will get better the longer you leave it.