*** Just FYI, the workshop starts at the 5:00 minute mark on the video! ***
We made kimchi together! And wasn’t it so easy? If you missed the live video, enjoy this replay of the step-by-step process. I promise, you can do it.
The reward for your efforts? A 32-ounce jar of homemade kimchi to ferment until it’s funky, then transfer to the fridge.
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Jenn Sharp and I make shrimp tempura tacos (and a Drunken Monk cocktail!).
Rebecca Blackwell and I make poke tacos (and a pineapple jalapeno margarita!).
Thanks for watching!
Here’s the recipe again, in case you missed it.
Homemade Kimchi
Yields: 32 oz jar of kimchi
Time: 30 minutes hands-on, plus 2 hours presoak, 3 to 7 days ferment
Spicy, salty, fermented, and funky! This Korean side dish is easy, delicious, and fun to make. Enjoy it with rice, meats, veggies, stews, or as part of the banchan (side dishes) at a Korean meal.
Notes:
You will need a 32-ounce wide-mouth jar or several small ones. I also suggest having food prep gloves available.
Adjust the heat to your taste buds! If you like milder kimchi, dial down the amount of red pepper flakes to 1 or 2 tablespoons. Like it hotter? Use 4 or 5 tablespoons.
If you are avoiding sugar, sub in an equal amount of minced Asian pear or red apple instead.
Some kimchi recipes include salted shrimp paste or fish sauce. Kimchi recipes vary from region to region. In North Korea, where my mom is from, seafood is not added, so I don’t include it here (making this kimchi vegan and vegetarian-friendly). If you want to use it, add 1 tablespoon to the spice ingredients.
Presoak Ingredients:
2 lbs napa cabbage, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup kosher salt (I use Morton’s)
Additional Veggies:
1/2 lb daikon radish
1 medium carrot
4 green onions
Spice Ingredients:
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean coarse red pepper flakes), or more depending on how hot you like it
Directions:
Prep a clean 32-oz wide-mouth mason jar by filling it with boiling water all the way up to the brim. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then dump the water and let the jar air dry. I like to have an extra 16-oz jar prepped and ready as well, in case I need it.
Presoak to soften the cabbage: Place the cabbage halves, cut side up, into a large bowl. Sprinkle on the salt, getting it between the cabbage leaves. It seems like a lot of salt, but most of it will be rinsed away later. Fill the bowl with water until the cabbage is submerged. Place a dinner plate or upside-down pot lid on top to keep the cabbage below the water line. Let it sit for two hours.
Near the end of the soaking time, cut the other veggies. Trim and peel the daikon radish and carrots. Then, cut them into matchsticks. Trim the green onions and slice diagonally into small pieces.
Tip the spice ingredients (garlic, ginger, sugar, and gochugaru) into a very large bowl. Throw in the cut radish, carrots, and green onions. Stir everything together to combine.
After two hours, drain water from the cabbage, reserving 1 cup of the salty water. Rinse the cabbage with clean water. Cut each cabbage in half lengthwise again, then crosswise into bite-sized pieces (around 1 1/2 inches). Add the pieces to the bowl with the other veggies and spice mix.
It’s time to put on those food prep gloves (you’ll thank me later!). Using your hands, mix and massage the veggies and spice mix together, lightly squeezing everything to combine. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved salty water and massage again.
Pack the kimchi into the prepared mason jar. Fill the jar about halfway, then press down on the mixture to compact it and release the liquid. Continue filling the jar, pressing down on the veggies as you fill. Pour any accumulated juices from the bowl into the jar as well. Leave about 1 1/2 inches of headroom (don’t pack it to the brim). If everything doesn’t fit, this is where that extra smaller jar comes in handy. Pack that one too, if needed.
Give the packed veggies one last press. Is there enough liquid to keep everything submerged? If not, add a little of the reserved salty water.
At this point, I like to place a glass fermentation weight directly on top of the veggies to help everything stay submerged under the liquid line. This helps prevent mold from forming on any exposed veg. Alternatively, a sealed Ziploc bag filled with water, clean pebbles, or pie weights works well, too.
Screw on the lid. Place the jar on a pie plate or inside a plastic bag to catch any potential liquid overflow. Leave at room temperature for anywhere between 3 to 7 days. Check on the kimchi every other day and remove the lid to release some gas, then put the lid back on.
By day 3 or 4, you should start to see regular bubbles, which means fermentation is happening! It’s time to move the jar to the refrigerator, where fermentation will continue (but more slowly), and the flavors will mellow with time. And yes, at this point you can eat the kimchi! It keeps in the fridge for several months.
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