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5.0 from 3 votes

Kimchi (Korean Fermented Vegetables)

Kimchi is a traditional Korean condiment, usually made from salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and white radish.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Rest Time
2 hrs
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 7 lb
Course: Side Dish , Condiments
Cuisine: Asian , Korean

Ingredients

For the salting of the cabbage
  • 6 lb Napa cabbage
  • ⅓ cup coarse salt
For the fermentation paste
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons sticky rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or white sugar
  • vegetables
  • 1 white radish mu or daikon, cut into matchsticks
  • 2 carrots cut into matchsticks
  • 8 Chinese chives chopped
  • 4 scallions chopped
  • 1 bunch Chinese celery minari or leaf celery, chopped
  • Seasonings and spices
  • 24 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • ½ cup fish sauce
  • 4 tablespoons salted fermented shrimp saeujeot, chopped
  • 8 oz. gochugaru hot pepper flakes

Instructions

Preparation and salting of cabbage
    Cup of Yum
  1. Halve the napa cabbage.
  2. Immerse the 2 halves in a large container filled with water.
  3. Sprinkle salt between the leaves by lifting each leaf and adding salt to it. Use more salt closer to the stems, where the leaves are thicker.
  4. Let stand for 2 hours, turning them every 30 minutes so that they are well salted.
  5. From time to time, pour some of the salt water from the bottom of the container over the top of the cabbage.
  6. After 2 hours, wash the 2 halves of the cabbage several times under running cold water. Wash thoroughly to remove salt and dirt.
  7. While washing, divide the halves into quarters.
  8. Cut the hearts and place them in a colander over a large bowl so that they can drain well.
Fermentation paste
  1. Combine water and sticky rice flour in a small saucepan.
  2. Mix well with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until it starts to bubble.
  3. Add the sugar and cook for another minute, stirring. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
  4. Pour this cooled paste into a large bowl. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, fermented salted shrimp and hot pepper flakes. Mix well with the wooden spoon until the mixture turns into a thin paste.
  5. Add the radish, carrot and green onion, as well as the scallion and the minari. Mix well.
Kimchi
  1. Spread a little paste on each cabbage leaf. When each leaf is covered with paste on a quarter, wrap it around itself and place it in a glass jar.
  2. Eat right away or let sit for a few days to ferment.
Fermentation
  1. The kimchi will begin to ferment a day or two at room temperature, depending on the temperature and humidity of the room.
  2. The warmer and more humid it is, the faster the kimchi will ferment. Once it starts to ferment, it will smell strong and taste sour, and pressing the top of the kimchi with a spoon will make bubbles appear at the surface.
  3. Once it has fermented, store it in the refrigerator. This slows down the fermentation process, which will make the kimchi more and more acidic over time.