Choko/ Chayote Kimchi

Vegetable Preparation

1. Glove up - chokos have a sticky residue so, reusable or disposable regardless you will want to be wearing gloves.
2. Cut the choko in half lengthwise and remove the seed (which is completely edible and tasty - just set it aside for noodle soup).
3. Peel the choko ensuring all the fibrous skin folds are cut out and dice remaining squash flesh into half inch or 1 cm cubes.
4. Transfer the cubes to a large mixing bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of salt to choko cubes and mix well.
5. Let the cubes sit for 30 minutes, turning every 10 if possible to salt evenly and draw out any of the sticky bitter liquid.

Blender

1. Drain off the salted liquid from the cubes into a blender cup. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, and fish/soy or tamari sauce and blend for 1 minute until smooth and creamy.

Combine

1. Add the blender contents to the choko cubes. Add the gochugaru and the sliced green onions (assuming you didn't blend them).
2. Prepare a 1 - 2 litre jar, sterilise (either run it through the dishwasher, pour hot water over and in it, or pour half a shot of clear high alcohol spirit like vodka or gin into the jar, shake the hell out of it and upend, allowing the alcohol to run out and evaporate). Depending on the mouth of your jar you may want a jam funnel as well, (makes the risk of contamination much lower)
3. Glove back up and mix the kimchi together. Once all incorporated, transfer mixture to a large prepared jar or airtight container. Press down on the top of the kimchi to get the air out and all the cubes beneath the liquid layer.

Storage and Fermentation

1. You can eat it straight away as a fresh kimchi. If you want to ferment it, leave it on a bench in the kitchen or in the sink out of any direct sunlight.
2. Check your kimchi daily by opening the jar or container and smelling it for a sour fermented smell starting to form. This can happen very quickly in warmer weather, so transfer to the fridge as soon as the scent starts the change and consider depressing the cubes further into the jar with a sterile tool every day its out of the fridge (fermentation releases gases which can cause the contents to overflow the container - hence the suggestion of the sink)).
3. Once in the fridge the kimchi should be stable for months as long as you remember to us clean utensils and avoid any cross contamination.