Cabbage Kimchi

[GoDawgs]

This recipe came from a book of various kimchi recipes and we think it tastes just like the kimchi sold in the Korean store we visit occasionally, only they want about $5 for a quart! I've added my own notes at the bottom.

Savoy Cabbage Kimchi with Turnip

1 large head (about 2-2.5 lbs) savoy cabbage or green cabbage, cut into 2” square pieces
¼ cup plus 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 large (about 12 oz) turnip, peeled and cut into 1.5” squares that are about ¼” thick

Seasoning Paste
2/3 cup Korean red chili flakes (gochugaru; we use 1/4 cup for half a recipe)
½ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup fish sauce
2 TBS minced fresh garlic
1 TBS peeled, finely grated fresh ginger
2 TBS salted shrimp (I don't use. Makes it too fishy)
2 tsp sugar
¾ cup water
5-6 green onions, green part only, chopped into 1.5” pieces (about a cup)

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with ¼ cup of the salt. Set aside for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check on the cabbage and if it looks wilted, limp and slightly brighter in color, it is ready. Otherwise, give it another 15 minutes and check again. Rinse the cabbage and let it drain, shaking the colander a bit to remove excess moisture.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl toss the turnip squares with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat the turnip pieces dry.

While the cabbage continues to brine, prepare the seasoning paste. In a mini food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse together the chili flakes, onion, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and sugar until the mixture is uniform and resembles hummus. Add ¼ cup of the water and pulse until incorporated.

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, turnips and green onions. Add the seasoning paste and toss together until the paste coats all the vegetables evenly.

Pack the vegetables tightly into three 1-quart jars. Add ½ cup water with the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the seasoning bowl and swirl the water around to collect any remaining seasoning paste. Distribute the water among the jars, cover and allow to sit at room temperature for five days. Refrigerate and allow the flavors to develop for about two weeks. Eat within 6 months. The cabbage will keep fermenting slowly for up to 6 months and its taste will evolve and change with time.

Make sure liquid covers the kimchee in each jar as it ferments. If necessary, mix another ½ cup of water with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and use to keep cabbage covered.

Notes:
Place jars on a tray or on saucers in case some bubble over while fermenting. It helps when packing the kimchi into the jars, to leave a little room in each jar for the liquid to cover contents and for contents to rise a bit as fermentation bubbles will cause it to rise a little.

We usually make a half recipe which makes one quart plus not quite a full pint. And we use regular green cabbage as it’s hard to find savoy around here.

To keep the aroma of kimchi from taking over your refrigerator, place jars in a gallon ziplock bag, zip it closed and then put it into a second ziplock bag. No odor at all in the refrigerator!

[ddsack]

Thank you for posting the recipe, I really appreciate it. Would like to make my own!

Yes, the store stuff here is expensive, so I only treat myself to it every few months. The jars are kept in the refrigerated section, and they have a warning on the jars to open them slowly, and the lid is usually a bit swollen, so you know they are still producing some gas.

[worth1]

Sounds fantastic and looking forward to making my own.
In my neck of the woods you need to use non chlorinated water.

[GoDawgs]

Nothing like God's good cold water from the well.

Another good thing about this recipe is that you don't have to pay extra for Napa cabbage. Of course, the green cabbage has a bit different texture at first but when it's all fermented up there's not much difference except the lack of those dark green leaf pieces from Napa.

Sister Pickles bought one of those little fermenting kits that had the glass weights that fit right inside a regular mouth quart mason jar, screw on lids with a grommeted opening for the air lock and airlocks. I already had some of those with the wine making supplies but more isn't a problem. She used the kit for the first time with the kimchi and it was a lot easier than making it in a small crock and dealing with cheese cloth secured over the top and a saucer inside to weight down the kimchi.

[peebee]

Around here we have several Asian markets so the readymade paste gochujang is everywhere. If I got that what do you suggest I need to add or subtract from your list of ingredients? Or is it better to use the chili powder instead? Your recipe sounds easy I'd like to try this.

[GoDawgs]

Gochujang is the red pepper paste and I've seen it referred to as Korean ketchup. I use it in the sauce of a Korean recipe for the most shatteringly crisp chicken wings I've ever eaten. You can probably use it in kimchi but what you need for the recipe is gochugaru, the red pepper flakes. There are several quickly made Asian cucumber salad recipes that use the flakes. Although I'm not of Asian heritage, I do love a lot of the food from there! If anyone is interested in those recipes, I can post them.

[Nan6b]

My husband has used Gochujang instead of making the paste. He likes the taste of the resulting product and says it's not much different from making his own paste. (He like the Gochujang a little better; he thinks it's because it contains mandarin orange.) He says the beauty of making one's own paste is that you can control the ingredients (e.g., no high-fructose corn syrup).

[KathyDC]

I love kimchi. I'll trade you a jar of salsa, once my tomatoes start coming in.

[GoDawgs]

I love kimchi. I'll trade you a jar of salsa, once my tomatoes start coming in.

Here ya go!

[ddsack]

I have an over abundance of Bok Choy just now that will bolt if I don't do something with it soon. Found a few variations on kimchi with it, but have to order some Korean pepper flakes from Amazon, our local health food coop does not have them.

[karstopography]

Thanks for the recipe. I’ve just recently gotten into making lacto-fermented food and Kimchi is on my want to do list. Going to grow cabbage over the fall and winter, I’ll be sure to come back to this recipe.