It’s really easy to follow this Fermented Korean Kimchi Recipe, and your health will thank you. When I was young I felt invincible, eating whatever I liked, usually. As I grew older and maybe wiser and couldn’t keep up with the twenty-somethings anymore, my interest in health miraculously came alive. So how can I combine my love of cooking with the added benefits of probiotics and natural health?
A Korean Kimchi recipe. I love spicy foods and Asian foods, so this is a marriage made in heaven for me! Koreans have eaten Kimchee for over a thousand years, and annually eat over 40 pounds per person! Lucky for me, it’s not hard to make, lasts a long time, and I believe will improve my health and boost my immune system. The best part is because I made it, I know exactly what went into it.
Kimchi Recipe with Gochujang Paste
Traditionally Kimchi is made by covering the whole pieces of napa cabbage with the spicy Gochujang paste, or Gochugaru (red pepper flakes). Either spice will work, I use the paste. I prefer to chop the cabbage into small manageable pieces. This doesn’t impact the fermentation in any way, it’s just easier to use as a condiment. You can find Gochujang at any Asian grocer. More and more supermarkets are carrying it in stock now.
In my pantry I had a 1 kg bag of Himalayan Salt, and that is perfectly acceptable to use instead of regular salt. As I always say, use what you’ve got! If sodium levels are a concern in your diet, use kosher salt, as it has a lower milligram amount of sodium vs regular salt. I think there’s no escaping the salt required in this recipe.
Kimchi Recipe with Apple
I love this recipe because it doesn’t add sugar or honey like some recipes, but naturally adds sweetness with a grated apple. (You could substitute grated pear or nashi pear instead). That’s the secret to an authentic Kimchee. I used a lot of carrots in this recipe, as the carrots I bought were some giant carrots, so I used them all as I don’t like wastage. The photos are very carrot heavy, in hindsight, I should have used less carrot due to the physical size of the carrots.
I love adding this Korean Kimchi recipe to my chicken burgers, or you can just eat it as a side with your meal. I’ve added naturally fermented foods to my diet, like Beet Kvass and Kombucha. When you eat this Homemade Korean Kimchi Recipe, your health will thank you. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Korean Kimchi Recipe + Video
Homemade Kimchi will boost your immune system! Koreans have eaten Kimchee for over a thousand years. Raw and naturally fermented Napa Cabbage, full of natural probiotics and vitamins. An authentic, fermented Korean Kimchi Recipe made with Gochujang Red Chili Paste
Ingredients
- 1 large Napa Cabbage or 2 smaller Napa cabbages
- 4 carrots grated
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 knob of ginger, grated approx 75 grams (2.5oz)
- 1 cup garlic chives (optional) chopped
- 4 spring onions chopped
- 1 small daikon cut in 2 inch match sticks
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup Gochujang paste or Korean red pepper powder*
- 1 apple peeled, cored, and grated
- 2 tablespoons of fish sauce or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sea salt
Instructions
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Remove the cabbage leaves individually, and cut the cabbage leaves into 2 inch pieces, and put into a large bowl.
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Put 1/4 cup of salt into a small bowl of warm water and stir until dissolved. Add the salt water to the bowl of cabbage leaves and mix it up using your hands, ensuring each piece gets a good covering of salty water.
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Leave the cabbage in the bowl at room temperature for 3-4 hours. The salt will start to draw out the water from the cabbage. You will see a brine in the bottom of the bowl.
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Strain the cabbage through a colander and quickly rinse it once or twice with water. Put your cabbage back into the bowl.
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Add the grated carrot, match stick daikon, crushed garlic, grated ginger, garlic chives, grated apple and mix together.
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Measure 1/3 cup of Gochujang and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce OR soy sauce, and vigorously mix thoroughly until completely covered. I suggest wearing disposable gloves, so the peppers don't burn.
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Pack Kimchi tightly into glass jars, leaving a few inches from the top. Close lid and allow to sit in a cool dark place for at least 48 hours (longer to increase sourness). Periodically open up the jars to release the pressure that builds up. Bubbles will likely appear, this is normal. When its ready, place in the fridge, where it should last 2 months or more.
Recipe Notes
Optional – to give kimchi a redder look with a spicier taste, add 2 tablespoons of the Korean red pepper powder.
The warmer your room is, the quicker the Kimchi will start to ferment. Keep and eye on it and taste it as per your preference. It will keep slowly fermenting in the fridge but at a slower rate. I prefer a fresher and less sour Kimchee, so tend to put it in the fridge after about 48 hours on the counter.
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
I started this website as a way to capture the recipes that I grew up with, and pass them onto the next generation. Being world travellers, there are foods from all over the world, but my passion is primarily the Russian foods I grew up with. 
Hi Peter,
Thanks for this awesome recipe! Worked perfectly and can’t wait to make kimchi fried rice.
So glad to hear it! Enjoy! 👍🏻
Hi Peter, I was wondering, what is the point of rinsing the cabbage after extracting the brine, if you end up putting it back in the brine anyway? Is it just to lower the salt content slightly?
Thanks
Hi Angelo, Thanks for your comment. I will need to update to simplify and clarify the recipe a bit more. You are right that the rinsing is just to reduce salt a bit, and can be skipped. The brine doesn’t need to be saved. After the draining the brine, when packing it into the jars, it will release more brine or juices when packed. If you want to top up a bit more brine, you certainly can (but then no need to rinse). Thanks for bringing to my attention, I will add it to my recipe review list 🙂
Looking forward to trying this recipe, I’m wondering how much warm water i’m supposed to be mixing in with the 1/4 c. of sea salt?
Hi Brian. I use maybe about a cup or so in a small bowl. It makes it easier to disperse the salt over the Napa cabbage. 😊
You might need to add a bit more water if the cabbage is old. Old cabbage doesn’t release as much liquid as fresh cabbage. When mixing it in with cabbage, almost massage the pieces with the salt water. Hope that helps 😊
Hi Peter,
I just packed up my jars leaving space at the top. Are there any concerns about not having liquid covering the the surface? I love the simplicity of this recipe. My daikon was fairly large so I used only half of it. I can’t wait to try the finished product.
Hi Cindy! The brine should be near covering the cabbage. Some people place something heavy on the cabbage, which weighs it down into the brine. I have used everything from river rocks to small saucers when making sauerkraut. (got creative). Don’t usually have issues with Kimchi as it’s pretty juicy. Alternatively you can add more salty water or some of the brine. Mix 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of salt, and add in as needed. It should just be level with the cabbage, not way over the top of the cabbage. Hope that helps! Good luck and enjoy! 🙂
Hey! This looks delicious. I’m just wondering if you’ve ever used a hot water bath to seal the kimchi in jars so they have a shelf life?
Hey Amy, great question. You could definitely use a water bath to seal them, however, it would kill all the probiotics. Then it becomes ‘canned cabbage’. It’s up to you, I find that it keeps in the fridge for quite some time. I love the healthy live probiotics in my diet. 😊
Nice and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I really expected it to be much more difficult to make Kimchi than you outlined in the recipe. I have no fears when it comes to making this now! Thank you for sharing, I can’t wait to try making this and reporting back to see how things went!
Thanks so much for checking it out! Easy and much cheaper than store bought!
Great and easy to follow kimchi recipe. I have already made two batches and it turned out great! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Diana for the feedback, so glad you love it! 🙂