Kimchi Recipe, Spicy Pickled Napa Cabbage

배추 김치

Optional Ingredients and Substitution
-Minari is optional.
-Some Korean like to add raw oysters to their kimchi. If you are new to Kimchi, we recommend not using raw oysters since it adds distinct flavor that you may not like. Other raw seafoods such as squid and fish can be added as well. If you are adding seafood, make sure it’s fresh since you have to add it raw. Clean them in salt water thoroughly and drain completely. Then, embed one or two pieces in each layer. It's better not to add raw seafood if you are making a big batch of kimchi and want to keep it for months.

Good to Know
When to start
If you are making kimchi with 1 or 2 napa cabbages, the amount of work is not so bad.
But, the brining and draining process still takes hours. You can start brining in the morning, then finish up in the afternoon or brine overnight then finish in the morning.

Amount of Kimchi
The default serving amount of this recipe calls 1 napa cabbages. Usually ¼ napa cabbage is good for a meal for 8-10 people.
(1 large napa cabbages = 32 - 40 servings. If 2 people eat kimchi once a day, it will last 2-4 weeks.)

Use rubber gloves!
Use clean food-safe rubber cloves for brining cabbages and applying seasoning. Otherwise, your hands will sting from salt and chili peppers.

Brining Kimchi

There are three ways of brining napa cabbages:

1. Dry method: Sprinkle coarse sea salt between the leaves of cabbages, leave them for 4 hours. Flip the cabbages and leave for another 4 hours (total 8 hours). Usually 1 cup of salt is used for one whole cabbage. Wash and drain.
(pros: shorter brining time, less salt is needed, cons: can be uneven)

2. Wet method: Make salt solution and FULLY immerse napa cabbages in the solution for a total of 12-16 hours (flip the cabbages after 6-8 hours). Put something heavy on top so the cabbages stay under the salt water. The optimal concentration of salt solution is 15-20%. The Ratio is water:coarse salt=5:1.
(pros: evenly brined, cons: longer brining time, a large amount of salt needed)

3. Combination of dry and wet methods: Make salt solution (water: coarse salt=16:1) in a large enough bowl to fit a half napa cabbage. Dip each half in the solution making sure all parts of the cabbage are wet. (When you are done dipping all halves, discard the salt solution.) Then, take the wet cabbage out of the salt solution and place it in a large empty bowl or a roasting pan. Then, sprinkle about ¼ cup of coarse salt (for each half) between the layers only on the white stem part. Leave them for about 4-6 hours. Repeat for each half. Flip the cabbages and leave it for another 4-6 hours (total 8-12 hours).
(pros: optimal brining time and amount of salt, cons: more effort required)

Brining time may vary depending on the temperature, the amount of salt and the type of napa cabbage used. In summer, brining time is shorter, In winter, it gets much longer. How do you know if the brining process is done? When you bend a leaf of the napa cabbage backwards, it should be bent without breaking or resistance. After rinsing 2-3 times, it should saltier than the desired saltiness. The saltiness decreases during the fermentation process.

If there is too much salt, the napa cabbage will lose the sweet taste. If there is too little, your kimchi will taste really bland. Also, if it’s not brined long enough, it can taste bitter or rot instead of being properly fermented. Don't fret! After a few trials, you will get it!

Coarse sea salt is key to good kimchi. Table salt would not give you the same flavor and texture.

Fish Sauce
You can use different proportions of Anchovy Fish Sauce and Salted Shrimp (Shrimp Fish sauce), depending on your preference. In southern parts of Korea, people use more anchovy fish sauce. I find using too much anchovy fish sauce makes kimchi too fishy and bitter. Other types of fish sauce are used in different parts of Korea, but shrimp and anchovy fish sauces are the most common.

Kimchi Seasoning Leftover
If you have made more seasoning than you need, you can freeze the seasoning. When the next round of kimchi comes around, thaw the seasoning in the fridge overnight and use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use Coarse sea salt ?
You can use kosher salt. But, coarse ones are better than fine ones. If the particles are too small, it may speed up the brining process too much that the texture of kimchi may not be as crispy.
We don’t recommend using table salt (iodized salt) because iodine prevents fermentation and the texture and the color of kimchi may not turn out right.
You can buy coarse sea salt from local Korean market or order online here.

How long should I ferment kimchi for?
Fermentation time depends on temperature and the amount of salt in the kimchi. A lower temperature and smaller amount of salt will make the fermentation process slower. They say slowly fermenting kimchi at 5-10℃ (41-50°F) for 15-20 days results in the most tasty kimchi.

The duration of fermentation also depends on your personal preference. Some people like fresh (almost unfermented) kimchi. Some like it very fermented and sour.

I personally like my kimchi fermented to medium sourness. I leave it out in room temperature for 2-3 days. The best way is to leave it out and taste it every day. When it reaches your preference, put it in the refrigerator. If you made a large amount, you can leave some out and store the rest in the fridge right away. Then, take some out later for more fermentation as needed.

Remember that kimchi will produce gas and liquid as it is fermented. Leave some room in the container, or it will overflow.

How should I store my kimchi and how long does it last?
Traditionally, kimchi was stored in earthenware called "Ong-gi." Ong-gi (Onggi) is breathable pottery that keeps kimchi and other fermented foods in an optimal condition. In the old days, Koreans used to make kimchi in the fall, then place it in an ong-gi and bury the ong-gi underground to keep the kimchi throughout the winter.

Today, most Koreans use plastic kimchi container to store Kimchi, and keep the containers in a specialized Kimchi fridge. Kimchi fridges keep kimchi at an optimal temperature, and keeps your regular fridge free of the potent kimchi smell. You can buy a specialized kimchi container here.

If you don't have any of the above, place the kimchi in a tightly sealed container and keep in the fridge. See below to learn how to prevent kimchi from getting moldy.

Kimchi can last 6 months or longer in the fridge but it may get sour in taste. Sour kimchi is perfect for making kimchi stew, kimchi pancakes, kimchi fried rice, etc. If you add fresh seafood such as oyster to kimchi, it's better to consume the kimchi within a month.

I got white mold on my kimchi. Is that normal? What should I do?
Getting molds on kimchi is not ideal. This can happen when kimchi is directly exposed to air as it's fermenting. When you place kimchi in a container, make sure you press down firmly to get rid of any air between kimchi. (Do this every time you take out kimchi from a container that contains a large amount of kimchi.) Then, cover the top with a plastic sheet or saran wrap before closing the lid. Finally, make sure the lid is on properly. To make this easy, you can buy a specialized kimchi container instead.

Another reason for mold to appear is that you don't have enough salt or kimchi sauce/seasoning for the cabbages. We all know salt preserve things.

They say white mold is not harmful. So if it's only on the very top, you can get rid of the top layer and save the rest of the kimchi. But if you don't want to take a risk, you may want to use the rest for cooking stew, soup or fried rice. If you get different colored (green or black) mold, it's definitely bad for you.

Why go through the hassle of making kimchi with a whole napa cabbage instead of pre-cutting it?
There is a type of kimchi made with pre-cut cabbages called “Mak-kimchi.” Mak-kimchi is made to be eaten quicker and it does taste slightly different from regular kimchi (although some people may not be able to tell the subtle difference.) There are at least 3 benefits of making kimchi with an uncut cabbage:
1. Making kimchi with whole (uncut) napa cabbages minimizes direct exposure to air which helps kimchi stay tasty for a longer period of time.
2. When the cabbages are pre-cut, the seasoning is absorbed into the cross section immediately and decreases the delicious and unique fermented taste.
3. When the kimchi is cut afterward, it allows a better presentation. It also shows that Kimchi is freshly taken out and has not been served to anyone else (i.e., it’s not a leftover that was served in previous meals).

Do you have to cut kimchi when serving?
In general, kimchi is cut when it is served as a regular side dish. However, sometimes the leaves are left long when kimchi is served to wrap rice and meat. When you cut kimchi for serving, cut once down the middle the long way. Then, cut across both halves multiple times to create bite size pieces. Carefully move the sliced kimchi onto the serving plate so that the layers are beautifully presented.

More questions? Please leave your questions below in the comment section. We will do our best to answer as soon as we can.