How to Make Kimchi at Home
If you want to make your own kimchi right at home, this step-by-step guide is for you! A traditional Korean recipe, kimchi adds a tangy and bold flavor to any meal. Carrots, garlic, radish, and scallions enhance the fermented cabbage, creating a vibrant side dish.
Servings 0.5 gallon (about)
Calories 6kcal
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb head Napa or Chinese cabbage
- ½ cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 8-10 oz daikon radish cut into matchsticks
- 8-10 oz carrot cut into matchsticks
- 10 scallions sliced, both white and green parts
- 10 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ inch piece ginger peeled
- 8-12 tbsp Gochugaru Korean chili flakes
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 5 tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- Remove any damaged leaves from the cabbage and cut the head into quarters. Remove the heart and slice each quarter into 1-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and salt. Massage until the cabbage is wilted. Place the cabbage in a colander and set in the large bowl, allowing it to drain for 1-2 hours. After 1-2 hours, rinse and strain the cabbage.
- In a large bowl, combine the strained cabbage, prepared radish, carrot, and scallion. Grate the ginger and garlic into the bowl. Add the Gochugaru, sugar, and fish sauce and mix everything together. Continue to mix with hands by squeezing the mixture until it draws its own liquid. This will cover the kimchi while it ferments.
- Pack into a gallon jar or fermenting crock and press down until the kimchi is completely covered with liquid. If it isn’t covered, add water to cover. Weight with a plate or other weight to ensure all the vegetables stay under the liquid. Note: As the kimchi is fermenting, if the top gets moldy, that isn’t good. That's a sign that the vegetables did not stay under the liquid. Cover loosely and set in a cool, dark area, not in direct sunlight. Daily, check to make sure the vegetables are covered with liquid. Allow to ferment for 4-7 days. The best way to know if it’s ready is to taste it. It will smell funky but should never smell or look rotten.
- Once the flavor has reached the desired flavor pack into pint jars and store in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
The type of salt used in this recipe is important. You can use whatever you prefer, as long as it has no additives. Otherwise, it will prohibit the fermentation process. I prefer kosher salt, but sea salt works as well.
Use fresh garlic, not the jarred variety. Similar to some types of salt, jarred garlic can contain additives that will prohibit the fermentation process, creating issues in the recipe.
Use both the green and white parts of the scallion. Discard the tenuous tops, but the rest can be used.
Making sure the cabbage is weighed down is essential to the fermentation process. It needs to be covered in the liquid to fully form safely.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 6kcal
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