Cabbage Kimchi (Baechu Kimchi)
Photo: Nagyman, a flickr user, CC BY-SA 2.0
Baechu kimchi is the napa cabbage version most people picture when they hear the word, and it is a good first ferment to make at home. The cabbage is salted overnight until it bends, then every leaf is packed with a paste of gochugaru, garlic, ginger and fish sauce, plus radish and carrot. A few days in the fridge turns it tangy and deep.
Instructions
Quarter the napa cabbage, rinse it, and let it drain. Stir the coarse sea salt into the water to make a brine.
Dip each cabbage quarter in the brine so the salt works down between the leaves, then lift it out. Pack the quarters into a container and pour the remaining brine over them. Leave them for at least 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, until the cabbage is limp enough to bend without snapping.
Rinse the cabbage well and drain it thoroughly. Mix the gochugaru, salt, sugar, jeot gal, garlic, and ginger into a paste.
Stir the sliced onion, carrot, radish, and green onions into the paste. Take one cabbage quarter and spread the mixture between every layer of leaves.
Fold the stuffed quarter in half and wrap it snugly with two of its outer leaves so the filling stays put. Pack the bundles into an airtight container and leave them at room temperature overnight.
Move the container to the refrigerator and keep it there for at least 2 to 3 days. Some liquid will collect in the container, which is normal and means the kimchi is ripening.
Make it personal.
Custom engraved cutting boards, utensils, and kitchen accessories. Great gifts for anyone who cooks.
Shop Custom Chef →Affiliate link · PicksByRecipe may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
