Kimchi

Ingredients

  • 1 napa cabbage
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 onion
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1⁄2 cup Korean red pepper flakes (go choo ga roo)
  • 1⁄2 cup salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 pear or apple, peeled and deseeded

All that seasoning, mixed.

Instructions

  1. Cut the napa cabbage into two inch slices and wash.

  2. Cut the carrots into matchsticks.

  3. Combine the cut napa cabbage and carrots in a mixing bowl, and submerge in salt and water for 2 hours at room temperature.

  4. Dissolve the sugar into 1⁄2 cup of boiling water.

  5. Blend the onion, garlic, ginger, pear or apple, fish sauce, sugar water, and Korean red pepper flakes. Set this aside. If you want to prepare a non-spicy, white (“baek”) kimchi, leave out the pepper flakes.

  6. Drain the cabbage and carrot vegetable mix and run it under some cold water. This step is crucial to removing excess salt.

  7. Loosely pack the Kimchi into large mason jars leaving maybe an inch of space at the top, and cover gently with a lid. Do not tighten the lid. A lot of gas builds up during the fermentation, and that could blow the top or worse, it could crack the jar.

  8. Let the kimchi rest at room temperature for about 2 days. The longer it rests, the more fermented and flavorful it becomes. As a precaution, I suggest setting the jars on top of small plates in case there’s any seepage.

  9. Once prepared, keep the kimchi in the fridge. It should last a while.