Pumpkin Kimchi

As with the more familiar napa cabbage kimchi, this pumpkin kimchi requires a period of brining before being packed into jars to ferment. It’s an interesting recipe, in which a small amount of napa cabbage is blended to a paste to coat the pumpkin pieces. Kind of an upside down recipe, as many pumpkin kimchi recipes blend the pumpkin to make a paste for cabbage! This is the month of the pumpkin, however, so why not feature this veritable vegetable in a kimchi all its own? The recipe is adapted from one found in Ferment, Pickle, Dry: Ancient Methods, Modern Meals by Simon Poffley and Gaba Smolinska-Poffley.

Note the 2-day process for preparing the pumpkin.

 

Directions

Day One:

Prepare the pumpkin.
Chop the peeled, deseeded pumpkin into squares about 1/2” thick. Place the pumpkin chunks into a large bowl.

Sprinkle the pumpkin with salt and toss until the pumpkin is coated. Cover and leave to stand at room temperature overnight.

Day 2

Rinse the pumpkin well under cool running water, until it tastes only lightly salty, and return to the large bowl.

Place all the ingredients except the pumpkin in a blender, and process until smooth to form the paste.

Pour the paste over the pumpkin pieces and toss until coated.

Place the pumpkin in a large mason jar, packing the pumpkin down to eliminate air spaces. Secure the lid with a jar -top fermenter.
Allow to ferment at room temperature for 1 week, then store in the refrigerator, where it will keep for 3-5 weeks.

 

Over to You

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