It's really easy to follow this Fermented Korean Kimchi Recipe, and your health will thank you. Naturally fermented, full of probiotics and vitamins. Made with spicy Gochujang Red Chili Paste.
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. And it makes a delicious Kimchi Fried Rice recipe.
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.
So what do I do with all this Kimchi? I love adding my Korean Kimchi recipe to my chicken burgers, or you can just eat it as a side with your meal. Plus it makes a killer Kimchi Fried Rice which tastes amazing.
Check Out My Other Fermented Foods
When you eat this Homemade Korean Kimchi Recipe, your health will thank you. Don't be scared to make this, and definitely don't pay supermarket prices for Kimchi. Homemade Kimchi is tastier anyways. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
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
- ¼ - ⅓ cup Gochujang paste or Korean red pepper powder*
- 1 apple peeled, cored, and grated
- 2 tablespoons of fish sauce or soy sauce
- ¼ cup sea salt
Instructions
- Remove the cabbage leaves individually, and cut the cabbage leaves into 2 inch pieces, and put into a large bowl.
- Put ¼ 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.
- 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.
- Strain the cabbage through a colander. Some people quickly rinse it once or twice with water, but not necessary. Put your cabbage back into the bowl.
- Add the grated carrot, match stick daikon, crushed garlic, grated ginger, garlic chives, grated apple and mix together.
- Measure ⅓ 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
Mick Hennessey
Great recipe thank you - home grown cabbage and carrots worked a treat!
Kolyo
Hey Peter,
I just made a batch with just 2 large heads of napa, and instead of grating, I blitzed the apples, garlic, ginger, gochujang and soy sauce in my nutribullet. After letting the cabbage sit for a couple of hours with some korean sea salt, I drained it, poured over the mix and massaged it for a few minutes before packing it in some glass jars.
I tasted it while I was doing that, which inspired this comment. Like Shannon from Kim's Convenience would say - it was AMAHZING!!! I can't wait for it to be ready, and luckily I'll be out of town for 6 days, which is exactly how long I was planning to let it do its thing for - that way at least I won't finish it before it even starts fermenting!
I loved your recipe and you've definitely gained a new follower!
Peter Kolesnichenko
Oh wow, you got my mouth watering! and Kim's Convenience... LOVE IT! Great the NutriBullet tip. Enjoy your time away while it ferments!
Roger Talbot
Love the Kimchi recipe. I live in the UK and our cup sizes are different to American ones. Can you give me the weight in grams of the Gochujang you use in your recipe please. I prefer a hot Kimchi.
Peter Kolesnichenko
Hi Roger, the difference in UK or US cup sizes won't make a difference for this recipe as it is minimal. I don't have it in grams, but ⅓ cup is just over 5 tablespoons. The heat from spiciness is subjective, I suggest taste it after mixing and adjust to your preference.
Samantha
Hey Peter
I have red Korean powder, Guess I can use that in place of the Gochujang?
Also can I use green vegetables like Kale in it too?
Peter Kolesnichenko
Yup, the red Korean powder is more traditional in kimchi, can definitely use! And Kale can be added as well 🙂
Olga
Thank you so much for this amazing easy recipe! Not only I am now hooked but also my whole family. I keep saying to myself this it is healthy cause I eat it literally with every meal. Winner winner recipe!
Peter Kolesnichenko
So glad you loved it! Thanks so much for the feedback! 👍🏻
Gina Crank
Once you put it in your canning jars & let sit several days to ferment, can you leave it in your jars if the lids seal from the fermentation? I do this for regular saurkraut or would u suggest to water bath? Because I want it shelf stable
Peter Kolesnichenko
This recipe isn't intended to be shelf stable, as you want to keep the probiotics alive. People do use a water bath to make Kimchi shelf stable, but need to add vinegar to acidify the kimchi. I have never done this before, but here are some links from the USDA for safe canning advice. https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE06_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf https://nchfp.uga.edu/questions/FAQ_canning.html#gsc.tab=0 Hope that helps.
john orbison
you can buy it in store now,how do you make it so you don't have to put it in the fridge too many jars in the fridge it getting over crowded how do you preserver it like the store.thanks
Marisha
Hello Peter, thank you so much for the great recipe!
Unfortunately I live in Mexico now and it’s very difficult to find the Napa cabbage here, I bought the Gochuang paste from Amazon but I can’t find the Napa cabbage for the life of mine 😭!
Is it possible to use the normal cabbage or maybe the lettuce with long leaves?
Thank you for your possible help!
Peter's Food Adventures
Hi Marisha, it's possible but won't be quite the same. I haven't tried it before, but the concept is the same. Give it a try with regular cabbage and let us know how it went! I'm thinking it will be tougher to eat in texture (compared to using napa), but the flavors should be similar. Might even be better to use when making Kimchi Fried Rice! Good luck with it! hola a mexico!
Marisha
Hola 😁! Thank you so much for the reply! I will try the regular cabbage, will choose the young one and then will let you know the result! Big hugs and keep up the great work! Love your recipes!
Peter's Food Adventures
@Pamela Bock - I don't have a yield for this recipe, it mostly depends on the size of your cabbages you use. You can see the small jars I filled in the video, and I have also put it into one large jar before too. Hope that helps.
Alin Scaueru
Hi Marisha, a lady commented here that she has used regular cabbage, swiss chard and even kale and they all turned great. I would suggest to look for cabbage with softer/ thinner leaves if using the regular one or cut it smaller as its a lot tougher than Napa Cabbage. Also in UK where I leave they have other types of cabbage with thinner tender leaves that are more similar to Napa cabbage, I suggest look around and try whatever version you can find, I bet it will be delicious!!!
Alina Scaueru
Hi Peter, your recipe is the easiest I could find. It sounds ds great, I also love your video and your pictures. Keep up the awesome work!!!
Peter Kolesnichenko
Thanks Alina! Glad to hear, hope you love this recipe!
Alina scaueru
Hi Peter, I do! It was easy and fun, I'm waiting g for it to ferment now. I can't wait to use it in some recipe like pork belly and kimchi stir fry (my favourite).
I will definitely try some of your other recipes too, I've got my eye on a few already!
Best Wishes!
Gwanma
I haven’t made your kimchee yet but friends say it’s very good. Regarding the use of regular cabbage…it will probably have a more crunchy texture like the Japanese pickled vegetables. In Hawaii a company makes it both ways and they taste great especially if you like crunchy.
Pamela Bock
How much does this yield so I can buy the correct jars...
Trish Sloan
I've used regular cabbage, kale and even Swiss chard. All a little different but delicious!
Alina
That's amazing, thank you for sharing!
Susan
Marisha, I buy seeds for nappa cabage online and grow it on my apartment balcony. If you cant find it in your area, Asian greens are super easy to grow from seed and you'll have a cabbage ready to use in under two months. I start them indoors under a grow light and when they are big enough, I bring them outside. Grow a few and you can make a supply of kimchi that lasts you a few months. 🙂
Scott
Korean grocery store in Mexico City w/ Napa Cabbage:
Good People
Hamburgo 215
Mexico city
Mexico
Phone: 5525-6144
Erin
Can I use regular green cabbage instead of nappa cabbage?
Peter's Food Adventures
I suppose fermented cabbage is fermented cabbage. However, regular cabbage is tougher, and that would make it sauerkraut, instead of kimchi. It's close but not cigar for me, but definitely possible. Try to use Napa cabbage is my suggestion.
Mukasa
Hello. I had seen other recipes that used sugar and I didn't try them out, but now with this recipe I'm definitely trying it out. Thanks.
Peter's Food Adventures
Thanks! Hope you love enjoy it!
Derrick
Hi. I’m looking to lower my sodium intake. And I love Kim Chee. Is there a way to reduce the salt and still get safe fermentation? Do you know the sodium content for your recipe? Would love to make this as it sounds delicious. Thanks!!!
Peter's Food Adventures
Hi Derrick, I haven't made it with reduced salt before. I am thinking that less salt would be possible as sauerkraut doesn't use this much salt in it's recipe. The fermenting concept is the same. If it was me, I would keep it refrigerated just after it starts to ferment, and maybe make a smaller batch so you eat it faster. Regular Kimchi lasts a long time. If you are ever unsure, throw it out and start again, as even with high salt content, there are things that can go wrong in fermenting. Trust your nose and smell it. If in doubt, throw it out.