Korea | Pickles & Preserves | Cabbage | Daikon | Fall | Preserving

Baechu Kimchi

(Korean cabbage pickle)

Yield: about 2 quarts


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Chinese cabbage outer leaves removed, cut into 1" squares 1 head, about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs
Kosher, sea or non-iodized salt 1/2 cup
Scallion chopped fine 4-6 each
Garlic minced 2-4 cloves
Ginger minced 1 Tbsp
Korean chili flakes 4-6 Tbsp
Sugar 1 Tbsp

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Salt → Rinse → Season → Ferment → Chill & Store
  1. In a large glass or plastic bowl, toss the cabbage with the salt. Mix in well with clean hands. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 2-5 hours.
  2. Place the cabbage - which should now be soft - in a colander. Rinse out the bowl and then rinse the cabbage well with water. Squeeze out excess water and return cabbage to the bowl. This step removes excess salt.
  3. Toss the cabbage well with the remaining ingredients. Place into a clean glass or plastic crock, container or jar and tamp down to remove any air bubbles. Cover with a lid and let set in a cool, dark place for 2-3 days.
  4. Store refrigerated and use as needed.

VARIATIONS

  • Vary the amount of seasonings according to your taste. There really isn't a good substitute for Korean chili flakes. Some people recommend cayenne or red pepper flakes, but the flavor isn't really the same.
  • In Korea pieces of seafood such as oysters, anchovies or salted shrimp are often added to the kimchi to give it a rounder, more pungent flavor. Try adding 2-3 Tbsp of ground dried shrimp if you like. Or you can add 1T of kimchi sauce which can be bought at many Asian markets.
  • Kkakdugi Kimchi (Daikon pickle): Use 2-3 lbs of daikon radish instead of cabbage. Peel, cut into 1" squares, and follow the same procedure.

NOTES

  • Kimchi, along with rice, is a bedrock of Korean cuisine.  Koreans have been salting vegetables in one form or another for over 1000 years as a way of preserving the harvest for the hard Korean winters. Late fall is kimchi-making season, or Kimjang. Great quantities of pickled vegetables are placed in large ceramic pots and buried in the ground to ferment.
  • Typical flavorings for kimchi are garlic, ginger, scallions and often seafood. The Portuguese introduced peppers to Asia in the 1500s, and gradually kimchi in its current spicy red form was born.
  • Baechu kimchi with Chinese, or Napa, cabbage is the most common type of kimchi. But hundreds of types are made and each family has its own favorite recipe.
  • Kimchi is served as a side dish for almost every Korean meal. It is also used in stir-fries, soups and stews.
  • While fermenting the kimchi gives off carbon dioxide and you may need to open the container lids periodically to relieve pressure.
  • Kimchi stored past 1-2 weeks gets softer and more pungent and is good in soup and stews.