Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

COLUMBUS – The North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Polk County at 79 Carmel Lane, Columbus, will be hosting a class on preparing kimchi and the art of fermentation from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., on Thursday, March 9. 

The class will teach attendees how to prepare and ferment traditional Korean kimchi, a dish made of salted and fermented vegetables. The science behind lacto-fermentation will also be explored. Fermentation is practiced worldwide for various reasons, including preservation, flavor enhancement, and health benefits. 

After class, each participant will receive a recipe printout describing how they can repeat the process at home, as well as a fermentation kit containing a fermentation jar and airlock lid that can be reused.

The class is part of Averi Ashley’s food preservation program. As an extension agent, Ashley works to help improve health and wellness in Polk County. 

“I provide information on how to preserve foods safely,” Ashley said. “Fermentation, in particular, is a passion and hobby I have been teaching for years.”

Most recognized varieties of kimchi are made from fermented cabbage. Sauerkraut is another popular fermented dish made similarly using raw cabbage. Both dishes have a long shelf life, and a distinctive sour flavor, which results from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves. 

To learn more about the Extension or their classes, visit polk.ces.ncsu.edu.