Kimchi/Kimchee (Korean Sauerkraut)

Note: If you have digestive problems this recipe is not fermented long enough to break down the cell walls (fibers, called cellulose) that humans cannot digest, so only consume very small amounts at a time or cook it at least 50 minutes to break down the fibers, or wait until your digestion has improved—see Raw Versus Cooked Carbs (Plant Foods).

Ingredients

• 1 head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded (other types of cabbage are okay too)
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, grated (for candida substitute any other low-carb vegetable on the Candida Diet,
  i.e. broccoli stalks, Swiss chard, turnip, etc.)
• 1/2 cup daikon radish, grated (optional)
• 1 tablespoon raw ginger, freshly grated
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons whey or lemon juice (lemon juice for candida sufferers)

All dried spices and herbs must be organic or certified organic from the health store, since most commercial products are irradiated (zapped with radiation) which change and damage the body's cells if consumed.

Preparation

1. Use a large bowl or pot that will not break. Put the vegetables, ginger, red chile flakes, ocean sea salt and whey or lemon in it, and pound it with a wooden mallet or a meat hammer to release the juices (wood is preferable). The harder and longer you pound it the more juices will be released.
2. Put all of it into wide–mouth jars with tight fitting lids.
3. Press down firmly with a mallet or meat hammer until the juices rise to the top of the mixture. The juice should completely cover the vegetables, and the top of the juices and mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar, to allow room for expansion. If there isn't enough liquid, add some non-chlorinated water.
4. Screw the cover on tightly and keep it at room temperature (20 to 25@deg; C or 68 to 77° F) for 3 days (72 hours).
5. After 3 days it has been fermented long enough. It should be kept in the refrigerator or some other cold place so the fermentation process is stopped.

Note: If your kitchen is too warm it is best to move the jar(s) to a place that is as close as possible to room temperature or it may affect the fermentation process. Also it should not be fermented in too cold of a temperature.