I’ve quickly come to realize that this whole kimchi making thing is going to be a journey. My end goal? Making kimchi that tastes just like my mom’s. I think I will have arrived when that happens. I have doubts that it’s possible. My mom has magical Korean -mom abilities that seem somewhat unattainable to me at the moment.

I’m now on my fourth attempt at making kimchi. My first try was really not so close to my mom’s, but this last one has been the closest yet. Which means, I finally felt ready to share it.

There are a ridiculous number of different kinds of kimchi out there, but this is the classic version that uses Napa cabbage. In other words, what you most likely will find in a Korean home or out at a restaurant. The amount of time you spend hands-on with making kimchi actually isn’t actually that much, but multiple hours are involved in letting the cabbage sit after you’ve salted it.  So, you do need to set aside a good chunk of a day to make it, but it’s totally worth it.

I also had a little friend help me along the way, this baby girl of mine absolutely loves being part of anything and everything that I’m making. Especially if it involves being outside and getting her hands into water. And can I just boast for a moment? The other week she grabbed a piece of kimchi off my plate before I could intercept her, and to my great surprise and deep delight, she LOVED it. I limited her to that one taste, but soon, I can’t wait for her to enjoy copious amounts of kimchi. 

I tried to make the instructions below as detailed as possible. And as implied by the title of this post, I’m expecting to try a host of other types of kimchi (cucumber kimchi, by far my favorite, among others) and I’m expecting to have epiphanies along the way that I’d love to share.

This recipe is the closest to the way that I like it, but you’ll probably want to tweak it to your preference. Add more fish sauce if you like that salty taste, or toss in some more chili flakes if you want more heat. You really can’t go wrong as long as you have the basics ingredients somewhere in there and get the salting down.

I really hope you’ll give it a try. I’d love some company along the way in my kimchi making journey!

Cabbage Kimchi

This is my current “base” recipe from which I plan to work off of and modify further. It’s the closest that I’ve come to so far that tastes like home, but I still have a little ways to go to get it just right. If you like more of a restaurant style taste, try adding more fish sauce or Korean chili powder.

4 lbs Napa cabbage
sea salt
5 garlic cloves
1/2 oz. ginger, just shy of a 2 inch segment, peeled
1/2 small yellow onion
1/4 cup kochukaru, Korean chili powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce

Cut the cabbage lengthwise down the middle (2nd photo). Repeat again with the 2 halves so that you have 4 sections. Remove the tough core and then cut across each sections into about 2-inch segments (3rd photo).

Wash and drain the cabbage.

In a large bowl, add a generous sprinkling of sea salt  (about 1/4-1/3 cup total) to the cabbage, turning it over as you spread the salt to get even coverage. * Note, the kind of salt you use does make a difference.

Let the salted cabbage sit for a minimum of 2 hours. This recent time I let it sit for 3 hours and would have liked it to go for another hour if I had time. This is optional, but every hour or so, toss the cabbage and drain any liquid that comes out.

After you’ve let it sit, rinse the salted cabbage with water and drain.

While you’re waiting for the salt to work it’s magic, you can prep the rest of the ingredients. In a food processor, puree the garlic, ginger, and onion. If you don’t have a food processor (or the equivalent), mince them as fine as you can. Place in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, the chili powder, sugar, and fish sauce. * Note, there are other alternatives to fish sauce including Korean salted shrimp and soy sauce diluted with water (for a vegetarian version). I’ve never tried the latter, but growing up, my mom used the shrimp, found in Korean stores.

Add the seasoning to the cabbage, mix together with your hands (I use a plastic glove so my hands don’t get all smelly). At this point, give it a taste! I absolutely love fresh kimchi. You can add more of any of the seasoning components to get it more the way you like it.

Put the kimchi into a glass jar and set it out in a cool place for at least 4 days to get it nice and sour. At this point, I’ll refrigerate it.