Pear Water Kimchi and New Book Release

It is past the 10th of September, and it is still hot during the day. Even though it is hot,
the temperature in the early morning and at night has clearly changed, and autumn insects are chirping.
And the humidity has dropped.

When I feel things like this, I am truly impressed by how well nature is designed.
Even though the whole world is becoming abnormally hot,
and I feel like we might not be able to live on Earth if things continue this way, in some aspects, it tries to proceed according to the calendar.

According to medicinal cooking, white foods are good for autumn, so
to care for my dry throat and lungs and to adapt quickly to autumn and winter,
I prepared water kimchi with pears to take measures early.

Water kimchi is different from the bright red kimchi made with chili powder,
it is more like a lacto-fermented pickle. (It is not spicy.)
The basic recipe involves putting vegetables like cucumbers and daikon radish, along with apples, garlic, and ginger, but I used only pears this time for a beautiful appearance.

Many recipes use rice-washed water, but it wasn't the right time to wash rice, so I used plain water. It ferments properly even with water.
This time, I made a 2% salt solution, so I added one chili pepper just for sterilization purposes.
Beginners might feel more secure with 3%, as pears also release moisture.

Once the salt water is poured to the brim, close the lid and leave it at room temperature.

By the second day (24 hours later), it had become completely cloudy and bubbles were appearing, so I promptly moved it to the refrigerator. During this time, do not open the lid or stir it.

When I started eating it on the third day, it had a slight acidity and saltiness, along with the sweetness of the pear.
It is not something that will make you jump for joy, but at my age, I want to take care of my health during the change of seasons like this.

My new book will be released on 9/19.
This is the third installment in the series from Asahi Shimbun Publications.

“Delicious Everyday Fermented Side Dishes Made with Fermented Seasonings”
How to start fermented cooking without difficulty

Thankfully, the first and second books have been very well received,
and have been reprinted many times, which is all thanks to the easy-to-see and easy-to-understand photos, design, and content. It is all thanks to everyone who picks up a copy.
Thank you very much!
I hope the new book will also be useful for your everyday side dish preparation.