Step 1

If you are worried about digestibility of mushrooms, steam your mushrooms until wilted (5-10 minutes) before assembling the kimchi instead of seasoning them and fermenting from raw.

Step 2

Process the salt, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, maple, chili flakes and onion in a food processor until a paste is formed, then taste the paste, and if adjust the heat level if needed. Mix the paste with the mushrooms, then quickly pack into a vacuum bag using the moist setting, seal, label and date.

Step 3

If you don't want to use a vacuum bag, or a sealer is unavailable, you can press everything down in a mason jar and putting a weight on top of it, making sure to keep everything underneath a layer of liquid. If you're vacuum sealer has difficulty sealing liquids, put the mixture in a ziploc bag, then put the zip loc in a vacuum bag and seal.

Step 4

Put the mixture in a cool, dark place for 1-2 weeks inside of another container that can catch liquid if the bag leaks, which is rare, but possible.

Step 5

After two weeks, slice open the bag like a Christmas present and eat hot or cool with some steamed rice, eggs, or other bland foods that can welcome aggressive flavors.

Step 6

The kimchi will last for at least a month and probably longer in the fridge, stored in a container with a tight fitting lid, such as a mason jar, etc.