Kimchi

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fermented vegetables, korean recipe, napa cabbage kimchi, vegan kimchi

Prep Time 1

Total Time 1

Servings 3 quarts

Napa cabbage brined, then tossed with daikon, carrots, green onion and a spicy garlic ginger paste and left to ferment.

Ingredients

4 tablespoon non-iodized salt
8 cups of water
1 large head of napa cabbage
1 daikon radish 6" to 8" in length
3 carrots
4 green onions
1 medium yellow onion peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves peeled
2 inch knob of ginger peeled and diced
1 – 4 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru is traditional)
Optional: 4 tablespoon of wakame
Equipment: glass mason jars, food processor, large bowl, weight (such as a dinner plate)

Directions

Stir the salt into the water until it dissolves to make a brine.
Chop the cabbage into rough pieces and submerge it in the brine for at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours (if it won't fit, give it 30 minutes to soften first). Hold it under with a weight.
Drain the cabbage and save 6 cups of the brine.
Cut the radish, carrots, and green onions into bite-sized sticks.
Blend the yellow onion, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes into a paste.
Toss the vegetables and paste together in a large bowl, adding wakame now if you are using it.
Fill glass mason jars with the mixture. Pour the saved brine over the top so the vegetables stay covered. Screw the lids on loosely so CO2 can escape, and leave some headroom, since kimchi bubbles hard for the first few days and may overflow.
Let it ferment in a dark place for up to 3 days, then move it to the refrigerator to slow things down.

Notes

Traditionally eaten while still sparkling, at 3 to 7 days of fermentation; it keeps fermenting and souring for up to 8 weeks. Swaps: savoy for napa; regular radish for daikon. Discard if moldy, slimy or off-smelling.