Homemade Kimchi

Kimchi is a tangy, spicy, pickled condiment and is Korea's most loved food. Koreans eat kimchi at almost every meal. Like Laotians and their padek, few Koreans can last more than a few days before their cravings get the better of them.  I adore kimchi too and eat it almost everyday. It's so convenient, we serve it as a vegetable and sometimes in more "exotic" ways, like our favorite grilled cheese sandwiches, that we call Kimcheese .  A few nibbles of kimchi in the middle of the afternoon boost my energy like no cup of coffee can.  It's our salad during the winter months when fresh salad greens look tired and winter weary.  A bowl of ramen noodles with kinchee and leftover meats is our all time favorite fast food at home. 

The Kimchi isle at Hmart market in Burlingting, MA.
They offer 21 different varieties of kimchi!

There are over a hundred kinds of kimchi and I'm sure as many ways of making it.  My version is so simple and I make it so often that I feel like I can do it in my sleep. It makes about 3 quarts and will keep in the fridge almost indefinitely. Kimchi ferments and ripens as it ages so it doesn't really go bad. However ours doesn't last that long and I find myself making it every couple of months.



Homemade Kimchi 

3 - 4 lbs Chinese or Napa Cabbage
1 gallon water
1/2 cup coarse salt
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely minced
one 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup Korean chili powder
6 - 8 scallions or green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 lb daikon radish, peeled and grated
2 teaspoon sugar

Slice the cabbage lengthwise in half, then slice each half lengthwise again to get four quarters, cut away the tough center core then cut each quarter crosswise into 2" pieces.

Dissolve the salt in the water in a very large bowl, then submerge cabbage in the salted water. Put a plate on top to make sure it stays under water and let stand at least 2 hours.

After two hours rinse and drain thoroughly

Mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl

photo by Emily

Add cabbage and, with your hands, mix it all up, squeezing and tossing until well combined.

Ready to be jarred

Pack the kimchi tightly into clean glass jars, leaving an inch of head room and cover tightly. Let it stand and ferment at room temperature. After one to two days, check the kimchi. If it bubbles and tastes tangy, salty, a bit sour and still crispy, it's ready to eat and now should be stored in the refrigerator.  If it's not ready, let stand at room temperature another day or two. I like to eat kimchi within the first month. After that, it's flavor is quite strong, but still perfect for soups or ramen noddles. It's a winning situation all around.