Mother-In-Law's Kimchi DIY Kit - How To Make Kimchi
Make kimchi in three days with Mother-in-Law's kit
Fermented foods like sauerkraut and pickles are great sources of probiotics, but can be daunting to make at home.
New York City's Mother-in-Law's Kimchi, whose fiery fermented cabbage and daikon radishes we've enjoyed for years, has solved that conundrum with its easy-to-use DIY Kimchi Kit ($35).
Opening the 1-quart jar yields a powerful blast of the pre-measured packet of gochugaru (Korean chile pepper flakes) inside; there's also a bottle of fish sauce and detailed instructions, complete with troubleshooting tips.
We made traditional cabbage kimchi, which calls for a head of Napa cabbage, scallions, fresh garlic and ginger, and a pinch of salt. The directions are foolproof: a little chopping, a little mixing and a little shaking in the jar.
After 72 hours of room-temperature fermentation, we had ourselves a heaping jar of kimchi that we added to soups, cooked with scrambled eggs and crunched on its own. There's also a recipe for cucumber kimchi, but you can use the kit to experiment with other firm vegetables.