Ingredients
- 1 gallon Kimchi Brine (1 cup unrefined sea salt to 1-gallon unchlorinated water) I use the Redmond Sea Salt.
- 2 large napa cabbages
- 1/2 cup gochugaru, I found mine on Amazon, Organic Korean Chili Pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded daikon radish
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot
- 3 scallions sliced; greens included
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
Directions
In an onggi pot, crock, or large glass jar combine the brine ingredients and stir to dissolve. This was my first time making this, so I simply used a gallon sized Balls canning jar. Rinse the cabbages in cold water and remove a few of the outer leaves saving the unblemished ones for later. Trim off the stalk end of the cabbage and cut in half. Place the cabbage halves in the brine and submerge using the reserved outer leaves and a fermentation weight. Cover with a towel and be sure the cabbage is fully submerged. Set aside, at room temperature for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Remove the weight and carefully take the leaves off the top placing them aside (you will use these again during fermentation). Drain the cabbage and reserve about 1 cup of the brine. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces or larger if you prefer and add them to the bowl of spices and vegetables. Massage the mixture thoroughly, then taste for salt. Usually, the cabbage will provide enough salt, but you can add more.
Transfer the vegetables, a few handfuls at a time, into a crock, jar, or onggi pot, pressing the mixture down firmly as you go with a tamper or your hands. Then add reserved brine as needed to submerge the vegetables and leave about 4 inches of headspace for a crock or onggi pot, or 2-3 inches for a jar. Cover with the brined cabbage leaves being sure everything is under the liquid. For a crock, top with a plate and weight down with a sealed water-filled jar or a fermentation weight. For a jar or onggi pot, you can use a weight made for the onggi pot or a specific fermentation weight. Then I covered mine with a dish town and rubber band just to keep anything from falling in. I also set mine on a cookie sheet just in case it bubbled over.
Set aside somewhere nearby, out of direct sunlight, and cool, for 7-14 days. Check your ferment daily to make sure the vegetables are submerged. You may see scum on the top, this is generally harmless, just scrap off and replace weights and cover. If your kimchi ever has a foul odor and not a pickled smell, I would rule on the cautious side and toss it. You can start to test the kimchi after 1 week. It will taste mild at this point, like a half-sour pickle. The cabbage will have a translucent look and the brine will be an orange-red color.
When it’s ready to your liking, spoon it into smaller jars, making sure the vegetables are still submerged, screw on the lid, and store in the fridge. Keep the kimchi in a jar that is sized to not leave much space at the top. I started in a couple quart jars and then would transfer to pints as it was used. This will keep, refrigerated, for 9 months.
Bon Appetit!
Pictured to the left are jars of my kimchi with grey Balls lids, which I love. I got some on Amazon but Walmart has them as well. They are leak proof and a pretty grey too! Also, I want to get an onggi pot and this is the one I am looking at. It doesn’t have a tamper with it but does come with weights and I love the color.
I hope you will give this kimchi a try and found something useful in this article. If you did leave me a comment and here’s to your health! Check out my article on Fermented Goodness.
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