kimchi pickling time

Winter is good kimchi pickling time.  Store bought kimchi just doesn't do right.  It feels almost like slack off version without other fulfilling ingredients like apples and carrots.



Here is my recipe.  You can use this as a base to make your original.  This recipe is based on 1 head of cabbage so multiply by necessary amount needed for all other ingredients.

Chinese Cabbage mix

  • Chinese cabbage - 1 large head
  • Sea salt - enough (1 cup?)

More Veggies

  • carrot - 1/2 whole, noodle or sliced
  • daikon - 1/2 small whole, noodle or sliced
  • negi or green onion - 2 cups chopped in 1" long
  • apple - 1/2 whole sliced
  • pineapple - 1/4 whole sliced
add more ingredients to make it your original


Sauce mix A

  • Water - 300ml
  • Mochiko or other starch - 2 tbsp
  • Chili powder - 1/2 - 1 tbsp (cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp)
  • Dried shiitake for soup base - 1/2 cup, optional
Sauce mix B
  • Garlic, pressed - 1 tbsp
  • Ginger, grated - 1 tbsp
  • Krill or fish paste (you can also replace with Anchovy Paste, squid paste, etc) - 1tsp
  • Salt - 1tbsp
  • Sugar or Molasses - 1/2 tbsp


  1. (Prep Cabbage) Cut Chinese cabbage in 1/2 in long pieces and place it in large bowl.  Add salt and mix well.
  2. Fill a large jar or a pot with cabbage and pickle it over night, or at least 1-2 hours until water comes out.  Make sure to press the cabbage down so there is no air space.
  3. (Sauce mix A) Boil water.  Add mochiko to cold water and dissolve.  Add mochiko mixture to already boiled water.  Bring it to boil and turn off heat.  Keep mixing to avoid burning.  
  4. Add Chili powder while hot.  Mix well.  Let cool.
  5. (Sauce Mix B) Once Sauce mix A is cool, add garlic, ginger, fish paste, salt and sugar to mix A.  Stir well.  
  6. (Veggies)  Add carrot, daikon, negi, apple and chayote to mix A+B.  Mix thoroughly.
  7. (Filling a pickling jar)  Layer Chinese cabbage and sauce mix A+B+veggies alternately.  As you pack the jar, press the ingredients to let air bubbles out.  
  8. Refrigerate for a few days before starting to eat.  Age it longer for more fermented kimchi.
This is a simple version of the recipe and it should look like on the pic.  No preservatives or extra flavoring needed.  Garlic, ginger and other veggies will make the kimchi nice and rich.  

Happy pickling.

keywords: kimchi, kimchee, pickled cabbage, spicy korean cabbage,

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