Kimchi (Korean Fermented Cabbage)

Kimchi is a Korean dish made with fermented Napa Cabbage, Red Pepper, and Garlic. I have heard a lot of good things about Kimchi and I couldn’t wait to try it. The red pepper is a Korean crushed red pepper called gochugaru and can be found in Korean or asian markets. The fish sauce is easy to find and most grocery stores carry it. Kimchi is great as a condiment or a side dish for many different Korean foods. The cabbage needs about a week to ferment and once that’s done you can enjoy it! Kimchi is fairly spicy and has a really unique flavor. The great thing about Kimchi is that the more it ages the better it gets so you can make a large batch and keep it in the refrigerator for about a month.

Kimchi (Korean Fermented Cabbage)
(makes about 2 lbs.)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Cut the napa cabbage in half, remove the core and slice the cabbage into 1 inch wide strips.
2. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and toss with your hands until the cabbage is coated.
3. Add the cold water to cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
4. Drain, and rinse the salt from the cabbage and squeeze out any excess liquid from the leaves.
5. Mix the cabbage, green onions, garlic, sugar, ginger, gochugaru and fish sauce in the large bowl.
6. Place the cabbage mixture into a sealable jar, leaving a couple of inches at the top.
7. Let ferment at room temperature for 2-3 days. After the first day open the lid to release any gas that built up in the jar.
8. Place the container in the fridge and let ferment for 4 more days before eating.