Authentic Kimchi Making (Using 20kg Salted Napa Cabbage)
How to Make Delicious Kimchi at Home: A Guide to Making Abundant Kimchi with 20kg of Salted Napa Cabbage
Nowadays, thanks to fresh #salted_napa_cabbage, making Kimchi at home has become much easier. In the past, it took all day to salt the cabbage, which was quite a chore. Now, with well-salted cabbage readily available, all you need to do is create a flavorful #kimchi_seasoning and coat the cabbage. This allows you to make Kimchi with your own unique touch while saving valuable time on salting – truly a win-win situation! This year’s first Kimchi batch started with a generous #20kg_salted_napa_cabbage. Enjoy delicious and abundant homemade Kimchi with your family!
Kimchi Ingredients
- 20kg salted Napa cabbage
- 2 large Korean radishes
- 500g chives
- 1 apple
- 2 onions
Kimchi Seasoning Ingredients
- 1.1kg Gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 2.5 cups salted fermented shrimp (Saeu-jeot)
- 2.5 cups anchovy sauce (Kkanari-aekjeot)
- 500ml plum extract (Maesil-cheong)
- 400g minced garlic
- 80g minced ginger
- 0.5 cup sea salt (for seasoning)
- 0.5 cup sugar
Sweet Rice Flour Paste Ingredients
- 1.5 liters water
- 1.5 cups sweet rice flour
- 1.1kg Gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 2.5 cups salted fermented shrimp (Saeu-jeot)
- 2.5 cups anchovy sauce (Kkanari-aekjeot)
- 500ml plum extract (Maesil-cheong)
- 400g minced garlic
- 80g minced ginger
- 0.5 cup sea salt (for seasoning)
- 0.5 cup sugar
Sweet Rice Flour Paste Ingredients
- 1.5 liters water
- 1.5 cups sweet rice flour
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, drain the 20kg of salted Napa cabbage thoroughly by placing it in a colander. This helps to reduce excess moisture, making the cabbage easier to handle. While the cabbage is draining, prepare the other vegetables like radishes and chives by washing and trimming them.
Step 2
In a pot, combine 1.5 liters of water and 1.5 cups of sweet rice flour. Whisk well to ensure there are no lumps. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until a smooth, slightly thickened paste forms. It should have a consistency that drizzles slowly off a spoon. Once cooked, let it cool completely before use.
Step 3
Peel the apple and onions, remove the core from the apple, and cut them into large chunks (they should be larger than your fist). Peel the ginger as well.
Step 4
Place the chopped apple, onion, and ginger into a food processor or blender. Process until finely pureed. This pureed mixture will form the base of your flavorful Kimchi seasoning, adding natural sweetness and aroma.
Step 5
Slice the Korean radishes into thin strips, about 0.5cm thick, suitable for Kimchi filling. When using a mandoline slicer, be extremely careful to avoid injury. It’s safer to stop slicing before reaching the very end of the radish. Any leftover radish ends can be cut into larger pieces and added between the Kimchi layers for extra texture, similar to ‘seokbakji’ (cubed radish Kimchi).
Step 6
In a large bowl, place the julienned radishes. Sprinkle them with 0.5 cup of sea salt and gently toss to coat. Let the radishes sit for about 10 minutes until they become slightly softened and tender. Then, add the chopped chives and mix everything together. Salting the radish beforehand ensures it stays crisp while absorbing the seasoning well.
Step 7
Now it’s time to prepare the delicious Kimchi seasoning! In a large bowl, combine the cooled sweet rice flour paste, 2.5 cups of anchovy sauce, 2.5 cups of salted fermented shrimp, the pureed apple-onion-ginger mixture, 400g of minced garlic, and 0.5 cup of sugar. Mix these ingredients thoroughly. Finally, add 1.1kg of gochugaru and stir until all the ingredients are well combined and the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Step 8
Mix all the seasoning ingredients together by hand until well combined. If you have red or green crown daisies (Hon-gat or Cheong-gat), finely chop about one bunch and add them to the seasoning. This adds a refreshing taste that enhances the overall flavor of the Kimchi. (I couldn’t find any at the market this time, so I omitted them, but they truly deepen the Kimchi’s taste.)
Step 9
Carefully spread the prepared seasoning onto the drained Napa cabbage leaves. Ensure that the seasoning is evenly applied between each leaf, from the base to the tips. Gently flip the cabbage leaves to make sure every part is coated thoroughly. Pay special attention to the thicker parts of the leaves to ensure they absorb the flavor well.
Step 10
Once the cabbage is coated with seasoning, fold the outer green leaves over the filling to enclose it neatly, preventing the filling from falling out. Place the formed Kimchi tightly into your storage container. This completes the Kimchi-making process.
Step 11
The vibrant color of the freshly made Kimchi looks absolutely appetizing! This marks the completion of our delicious Kimchi-making guide. Enjoy your homemade Kimchi after it has fermented to perfection!
