How to Make Kimchi (Kimchee)

Steps to make

1. 1

   Salt cabbage

   6h
   

   Remove 2 outer leaves from the cabbage. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator until needed. Chop cabbage and place chunks in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with ¼ cup of sea salt. Cover with cold water and leave to stand at room temperature for 6-8 hours or overnight. Stir halfway through if possible.

2. 2

   Drain cabbage

   3 min
   

   Drain the cabbage, but reserve the brine. Lightly rinse the cabbage. Squeeze out any excess water and return it to the bowl.

4. 3

   Add radish and scallions

   2 min
   

   Add 2 cups of chopped daikon radish and 1 bunch of scallions.

5. 4

   Make paste

   2 min
   

   Place 1 tablespoon of ginger, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 quartered shallot, 2-6 tablespoons of red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a blender or food processor. Add 1 tablespoon of rice powder (if using) and process until it becomes a thick paste.

6. 5

   Coat mixture in paste

   2 min
   

   Add the paste to the cabbage mixture and using tongs or gloves, mix and massage the vegetables and the paste until fully coated.

7. 6

   Place mixture in jars

   4 min
   

   Transfer the kimchi mixture to a large sterilized two-quart jar leaving about 1-2 inches of space at the top. Press down firmly to pack. If the vegetables aren’t covered by liquid, top up with the reserved brine until covered. Place a whole cabbage leaf over top, pressing down to keep the kimchi submerged below the brine. If you prefer, you can use a fermentation weight placed over top of the whole leaf to keep it submerged.

8. 7

   Ferment

   3d min
   

   Cover the jar loosely with a lid and place it in a baking dish (or bowl) to collect any juices that may escape. Leave in a cool dark place like a basement or a cabinet away from appliances for 3 days.

9. 8

   Check for bubbles

   2 min
   

   After 3 days, check for fermentation action or bubbles by tapping the jar and seeing if little bubbles rise to the top. When bubbles start appearing, the kimchi is ready to store in the refrigerator where it will develop more flavor slowly as it continues to ferment.

10. 9

    Store

    

    Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks before using. It will keep for months as long as the cabbage is submerged under brine.

11. 10

    Serve

    

    Serve in Kimchi Fried Rice, Kimchi Soup, Seoul Bowls or my favorite Kimchi Stew.