Sour, spicy, crunchy chayote kimchi; the perfect Korean and Mexican fusion. This chayote kimchi recipe is unlike any kimchi you've ever tasted. It has the same sour and spicy flavor as regular kimchi but with an incredibly satisfying crunch.
Obsessed with kimchi as much as me? You'll love my Watermelon Rind Kimchi! Or, if you want more chayotes recipes, try Chinese Chayote Soup next!
Chayote kimchi isn't an official version of kimchi, but it's delicious. It's made with chayotes, a crunchy vegetable from the gourd family. Unlike regular kimchi which becomes soft during fermentation, chayote kimchi retains its signature crunchiness which makes this kimchi recipe super tasty!
Can't get enough of Korean food? Try my Spicy Enoki Mushrooms which make an excellent side dish.
Jump to:
🌶 What is kimchi?
Kimchi is one of the world's most popular fermented foods and is one of Korea's most culturally significant foods. Kimchi is made by combining various vegetables with various seasonings like fish sauce and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and fermenting for several days at room temperature. The result is something deliciously sour, salty, and spicy.
🍏 What are chayotes?
Chayotes are a type of summer squash belonging to the gourd family. They originated from Central America and contained nutrients like fiber, folate, and magnesium. Many people describe chayotes as having a mild flavor between an apple and a cucumber.
⏲️ Fermentation primer
Fermentation is the transformation of food by microorganisms. Lactic acid fermentation is a specific type of fermentation in which Lactic acid bacteria convert sugars into lactic acid and other byproducts, such as carbon dioxide and alcohol. Lactic acid is what gives fermented foods their characteristic sour flavor.
🍎 Lactic Acid Bacteria
Lactic Acid bacteria exist in abundance on the skins of fruits and vegetables. They are also salt-tolerant and anaerobic, meaning they can thrive in the presence of salt and the absence of oxygen. They thrive at room temperature but slow down at colder temperatures.
When making kimchi, we create an environment where the Lactic acid bacteria can flourish and convert the vegetables' natural sugars into Lactic acid.
Kimchi is initially fermented at room temperature for up to 7 days, allowing the Lactic acid bacteria to grow rapidly. After the initial fermentation, it's stored in the fridge to slow the fermentation process, so it doesn't get too sour.
Check out this article by Serious Eats to learn more about lactic fermentation.
🧂 Ingredients
- Chayotes - the star ingredient! They have a signature crunchiness which gives this kimchi a satisfying texture.
- Salt - provides flavor and creates an environment that favors Lactic acid bacteria over "bad" bacteria.
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) - these can be found in the spice aisle in most Asian grocery stores. It adds a spicy flavor to the kimchi
- Garlic - adds flavor and heat. It also has unique properties which ward off fungus and yeast.
- Ginger - adds spiciness and pungency.
- Fish sauce - provides umami and a funky aroma. You can omit the fish sauce and add extra soy sauce or salt if you are a vegan or vegetarian.
- Glutinous rice flour - helps the other ingredients stick to the chayotes
🔪 Instructions
📋 Note
Before following the instructions below, ensure you have cleaned and sanitized your surfaces, cutting boards, bowls, and utensils. When we ferment vegetables, we want to eliminate as many harmful bacteria as possible to reduce the risk of our fermentation going bad. If you're using glass jars to store the kimchi, ensure they're heatproof and you sanitize them in boiling water.
Step 1. Prepare the chayotes
First, cut the chayotes in half lengthwise.
Then cut each half into four segments.
Next, use a small spoon to deseed each segment. Then cut each segment into 3-4 pieces and place them in a large bowl.
Add salt to the bowl and mix to evenly coat the chayotes. Let it rest for 30 minutes and re-mix every 10 minutes to redistribute the salt.
Step 2. Make the rice paste
Combine water, rice flour, and brown sugar in a small pot and place on medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until it comes to a boil. It takes about 3-5 minutes. Let it cool completely for at least 20 minutes.
Step 3. Make the chili paste
Combine garlic, ginger, onion, and fish sauce in a food processor and pulse until it becomes grainy and pasty. It takes about ten pulses or 30 seconds.
Combine the cooled rice paste, gochugaru, and garlic mixture in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until well combined.
Step 4. Combine everything
Chop the green onions into 2-inch segments.
Add the spice mixture and green onions to the bowl of chayotes and mix until evenly coated.
Step 5. Storage
Transfer the chayotes to one or two glass containers and let them ferment at room temperature for 3-7 days. Test the flavor by taking out a piece every day until you achieve the desired sourness. Once the chayotes are ready, you can store them in the refrigerator.
📋 Note
During the initial room temperature fermentation, keep the lid on loosely to allow carbon dioxide to escape. Check every 12 hours to ensure the lid is loose and gas can escape; otherwise, the container may explode.
💭 Top Tips
- Choose fresh chayotes which don't have too many bruises. If there are brown spots, make sure to cut them off; otherwise, the bad bacteria could ruin the batch of kimchi.
- Ensure your cutting board, jars, bowls, and utensils are cleaned and sanitized to prevent bad bacteria from growing.
👩🏻🍳 Substitutions
- Fish sauce can be substituted with equal parts soy sauce.
- Glutinous rice flour can be omitted entirely or substituted with half a grated apple or Asian pear. The glutinous rice flour is mainly to help thicken the chili paste, allowing it to cling to the chayotes better.
🥡 Storage
Storage: Chayote kimchi can be refrigerated for up to 3 months in an airtight container. However, chayotes tend to lose their crunchy texture over time, so it's best to consume the kimchi within one month for optimal taste and texture.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Kimchi is one of the more fail-proof fermented foods to make. It's less fussy than other ferments due to its high concentrations of salt, garlic, and gochugaru; these ingredients help ward off harmful bacteria from developing.
Kimchi will stay good in the refrigerator for 3-6 months. It continues to ferment as it sits in the fridge, so the flavor gets sourer and loses a bit of crunchiness. I recommend eating these within the first two months for optimal flavor and texture.
Yes, you can adjust the spiciness level in kimchi by adding more or fewer chili flakes, depending on your preference. Try reducing or increasing this recipe by ¼ cup until you figure out what is perfect for you.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and consider leaving a comment. I'd love to hear your feedback!
📋 Recipe
Chayote Kimchi
Equipment
- 1 mason jar
- 1 Easy Fermenter fermenting kit (optional)
- 1 food processor (optional)
Ingredients
Rice paste
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (or white sugar)
- 1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour (or all-purpose flour)
- ½ cup water
Kimchi
- 3 lbs chayotes (4-6 chayotes depending on size, cored)
- 3 tablespoon coarse kosher salt (use half the amount if you're using table salt)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch knob ginger
- ½ small onion (about ¼ cup)
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ cup gochugaru
- 4 scallion (or Korean chives, sliced into 2-inch pieces)
Instructions
Rice paste
- Combine the sugar, rice flour, and water in a small pot over medium heat
- Cook for about 5 minutes or until it reaches a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Kimchi
- Chop chayotes into 2-inch chunks. Combine with salt in a large bowl and rest for 30 minutes.
- In a food processor, combine the garlic, ginger, onion, and fish sauce. Pulse for 15-20 seconds until smooth and grainy. If you don't have a food processor, you can mince the vegetables using a knife.
- Mix the cooled rice paste, garlic mixture, and gochugaru in a small bowl.
- Add the spice mixture and green onions into the bowl of chayotes, and mix well.
- Transfer chayotes to one or two glass containers and let them ferment at room temperature for 3-7 days. Test the flavor by taking out a piece every day until you achieve the desired sourness. Once the chayotes are ready, you can store them in the refrigerator.Note: During the initial room temperature fermentation, keep the lid on loosely to allow carbon dioxide to escape. Check every 12 hours to ensure the lid is loose and gas can escape; otherwise, the container may explode.
Video
Notes
- Choose fresh chayotes which don't have too many bruises. If there are brown spots, make sure to cut them off; otherwise, the bad bacteria could ruin the batch of kimchi.
- Ensure your cutting board, jars, bowls, and utensils are cleaned and sanitized to prevent bad bacteria from growing.
Leave a Reply