THE PERFECT... Kimchi

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to the fundamentals of cooking

Imagine that you have just planted new seeds in your garden. That is what happens in your bowel when you take probiotics.

Fermented foods act as the fertiliser to feed all those new seeds that you have just planted. Fermenting converts natural sugars found in vegetables into lactic acid, which is a natural digestive enzyme. It also naturally reduces the sugar content of food.

In the gut-garden concept, eating fermented and prebiotic foods is the third part of a holistic gut-health overhaul.

Fermented foods are quite easy to prepare at home, and are a wonderful way to nourish the good gut flora that your bowel needs.

It is key to squeeze all the liquid out of the vegetables before putting them in the jar. Too much moisture will not produce a good outcome.

Also, pack the veg very tightly in the jar. Some people like to weigh down the vegetables with flat pebbles from the beach. Then you can put gauze over the top, secured with an elastic band, and then a lid.

The biggest mistake when you’re fermenting is opening the jars too early. Oxygen spoils things, so put the lids on nice and tight, to ensure no air gets in. And keep the pickle in a dark place for about three to four weeks.

You can exchange the white cabbage in this recipe for beetroot and apples, or cucumbers and red cabbage. You need to use super-fresh veggies. Lactobacilli, the good gut flora that your bowel needs, grow better when the veg is fresh.

You can serve this fermented or cultured cabbage — which is called kimchi — chilled, on top of hot vegetable soups, salads or stews. The whole foods in these dishes are prebiotics, so they will also feed the good gut flora.