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How to Make Kimchi at Home

January 7, 2016 38 Comments

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Easy homemade kimchi.

I make kimchi in every winter. Yes, I am! As a foodie who loves fermentations and pickled vegetables, kimchi is one of my top selections along with common Szechuan style pickled vegetables. This possible not authentic Korean kimchi, but the final taste is good enough for me.If you prefer an authentic Korean style kimchi, check this post on beyond kimchi.

homemade easy kimchi

How to choose a cabbage for kimchi—Usually a fresh and denser napa cabbage is great for kimchi. I usually use one around 1000g.

Roughly clean the cabbage and remove any bad leaves. Cut it into two or four pieces. I cut into four pieces.

homemade kimchi

Spread kosher salt evenly on the leaves. Do a little message and make sure all parts are well coated with salt. Set aside for around 6-8 hours or overnight until the leaves starting to soften and wilt.

homemade kimchi

Wash the cabbage under running water to remove extra salt and avoid over salty kimchi. Squeeze the water out and set aside.

homemade kimchi

In a small pot, add around 1 cup water with 3 tablespoons of glutinous rice powder. Heat over medium slow fire and continue stirring during the process until the mixture becomes transparent. Add sugar when it is still hot. Stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool down.

homemade kimchi- rice glue

Place garlic, ginger, apple chunk and pear chunk in a food processor, break them into puree or small dices.

homemade kimchi

Transfer to the rice glue. Add around 4 tablespoons of Korean chili powder, 1 tablespoon salted shrimp, 1 tablespoons of fish sauce and the chive pieces. Give a big stir to combine everything well.

homemade kimchi

Evenly spread the fermentation sauce on the cabbage and radish strips. Evenly, evenly, evenly!!! If you need to use hand, wear a plastic glove.

homemade easy kimchi

homemade easy kimchi

Transfer them to a pre-cleaned airtight jar. Rest at room temperature for 24-48 hours until it is slightly sour with the lid unsealed completely. And then seal the jar completely and keep in refrigerator. Serve directly as a side dish after 7 days fermentation or use in other recipes like soups, pancakes after 2 weeks.

After 7 days fermentation: slightly sour and crispy in texture

easy homemade kimchi

After 2 weeks fermentation: sour and soft in texture.

At this time, the sauce is perfect for kimchi fried rice.

kimchi fried rice

5 from 3 votes
Print
Homemade Kimchi
Prep Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs
 
Detailed step by step instructions of making easy Kimchi at home.
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: Kimchi
Calories: 34 kcal
Author: Elaine
Ingredients
  • 1 fresh Napa cabbage , around 1000g
  • 1/3 cup kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons Korean chili powder
  • 1 small bunch of Asian chive , or green onion , hard root removed
  • 1/4 middle size radish , cut into small strips
  • 4 garlic cloves , peeled
  • 1 thumb ginger , peeled
  • 1/4 middle size apple , peeled
  • 1/4 middle size pear , peeled
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Korean salted shrimp
Rice glue
  • 3 tablespoons glutinous rice powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 1-1.5 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
  1. Roughly clean the cabbage and remove any bad leaves. Cut it into two or four pieces. I cut into four pieces. Spread kosher salt evenly on the leaves. Do a little message and make sure all parts are well coated with salt. Set aside for around 6-8 hours or overnight until the leaves starting to soften and wilt.
  2. Wash the cabbage under running water to remove extra salt and avoid over salty kimchi. Squeeze the water out and set aside.
Prepare the fermentation sauce
  1. In a small pot, add around 1 cup water with 3 tablespoons of glutinous rice powder. Heat over medium slow fire and continue stirring during the process until the mixture becomes transparent. Add sugar when it is still hot. Stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool down.
  2. Place garlic, ginger, apple chunk and pear chunk in a food processor, break them into puree or small dices. Transfer to the rice glue.
  3. Add around 4 tablespoons of Korean chili powder, 1 tablespoon salted shrimp, 1 tablespoons of fish sauce and the chive pieces. Give a big stir to combine everything well.
  4. Evenly spread the fermentation sauce on the cabbage and radish strips. Evenly, evenly, evenly!!! If you need to use hand, wear a plastic glove.
  5. Transfer them to a pre-cleaned airtight jar. Rest at room temperature for 24-48 hours until it is slightly sour with the lid unsealed completely. And then seal the jar completely and keep in refrigerator. Serve directly as a side dish after 7 days fermentation or use in other recipes like soups, pancakes after 2 weeks.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Kimchi
Amount Per Serving (100 g)
Calories 34
% Daily Value*
Cholesterol 3mg1%
Sodium 3626mg158%
Potassium 278mg8%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 1200IU24%
Vitamin C 24.3mg29%
Calcium 82mg8%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Homemade Kimchi |ChinaSichuanFood

Filed Under: Featured, Recipes

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  1. Kort says

    February 5, 2017 at 5:26 am

    Thanks for this. My girlfriend in high school was Korean and her mother made some awesome kimchi, and beef bulgogi. I look forward to trying this out, though I may have to use red cabbage.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      February 5, 2017 at 2:44 pm

      I never tried red cabbage. Let me know the result if possible.

      Reply
  2. Chris says

    February 23, 2017 at 9:37 pm

    Sounds interesting, Is there a vegan version of this?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      February 23, 2017 at 9:42 pm

      I don’t think so as fish sauce is quite important to the final flavor.

      Reply
    • Serra says

      February 13, 2018 at 1:05 am

      I make vegan version without fish or shrimp. I loved it and people say there is no much deifference.

      Reply
    • Daniel Armstrong says

      November 10, 2019 at 4:30 am

      You can use sea weed in place of shrimps/fish sauce!
      I’ll recommend Dulce, you can get it finely chopped in the package, otherwise sharp knife minced really fine!

      Reply
  3. moni says

    December 18, 2017 at 9:58 pm

    5 stars
    Hello,

    since you are from china, i wonder if you could tell me if water of capers (capperi in italian) and cardamom are used in china for kimchi recipes?

    i found one recipe (its german, a new cookbook) but i honestly never saw a recipe using cardamom and capers. it wasnt cabbage kimchi but cucumber kimchi 🙂

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      January 3, 2018 at 11:17 am

      Hi Moni,
      We do not use the water of capers and cardamom in kimchi. The two are unnecessary.

      Reply
  4. Konstanz says

    August 8, 2018 at 9:05 am

    5 stars
    I just made this recipe & WOW! it turned out great! Tastes just like the Kimchi I buy locally at a Korean market for almost $30! I only omitted the radish, and added some thinly sliced carrots, but the flavor is absolutely on point! Thanks again for sharing an outstanding recipe!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      August 10, 2018 at 8:22 pm

      Thanks Konstanz,
      Kimchi has always been my favorite dish in cold winter days. Kimchi is quite expensive in my country too. I love my own homemade version, as I can adjust the sourness via fermentation time.

      Reply
  5. Pamela McGill says

    October 8, 2018 at 4:31 am

    I’m going to try this. I have a friend who loves kimchi. So I’m going to make it for her.

    Reply
  6. Jamie says

    January 23, 2019 at 5:19 am

    If I was doing more like 2 or 3 heads of napa cabbage, would I need to double and triple your recipe? They are between 3 and 4 pounds each.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      January 23, 2019 at 9:45 am

      Triple the recipe, please.

      Reply
  7. kt says

    June 12, 2019 at 12:23 am

    Do you have a recipe for Sichuan style kimchi, similar to the spicy cabbage served at Little Sheep or other hot pot restaurants?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      June 12, 2019 at 8:08 am

      Hi,
      It should be pickles. I will find a chance to post a recipe. Before the recipe, you can check this pickled carrots.

      Reply
  8. Ms. Linda says

    December 9, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    Interesting recipe. Have not used both apple and pear in same batch before. I will try in a smaller batch to see if I like it. Also in my kimchi I add 1 carrot, grated, or cut in matchsticks, and cleaned snow peas, sliced small pieces. And I leave my jars at room temperature for 2 weeks and then refrigerate. I don’t know how long it will actually last before becoming inedible because the longest I’ve ever kept a jar is 2 months (when I made a gallon instead of a quart).

    Reply
  9. Corrina Rameka says

    April 20, 2020 at 10:04 am

    5 stars
    love kimchi

    Reply
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