You can make kimchi at home
By Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator for The Food Co-op
What Is Kimchi?
Kimchi isn’t just one recipe; it’s a method. In Korea, there are over 160 traditional styles of kimchi, each with unique ingredients and techniques. At its core, kimchi is fermenting vegetables with salt and seasonings. The Chinese characters for kimchi translate to “salted vegetables,” which is a good starting point for understanding its versatility.
While Napa cabbage is the most common base, you can kimchi just about any type of cabbage—or any vegetable, for that matter. Green cabbage, Savoy cabbage, or even red cabbage work beautifully. Kimchi at any time of year with what’s fresh and available, and once you learn the basic technique, you can mix and match ingredients to create your own signature batches.
Endless Possibilities
The joy of making kimchi is its adaptability. I’ve experimented with Napa cabbage, bok choy, mustard greens, carrots, beets, parsnips, apples, and even cranberries. The possibilities are as wide as your imagination.
The flavoring paste is another area where you can get creative. Traditional Korean recipes often include garlic, ginger, Korean chili powder, and fish sauce. But don’t stop there—try substituting dill, tarragon, fennel, or even caraway seeds to give your kimchi some personality.
Why Make Kimchi?
Making kimchi at home is fun and rewarding. It’s a laid-back process that allows you to work with what you have on hand. The vegetables soak in a salt brine overnight, giving you time to think about the flavor profile you want. Fermenting jars can sit on your countertop, letting you check on them and taste-test as they develop.
Kimchi isn’t just delicious—it’s also packed with health benefits. It’s a natural probiotic that supports gut health, and the fermentation process increases the availability of vitamins and minerals in the vegetables. Koreans eat kimchi at nearly every meal, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a versatile ingredient enjoyed on its own or used in recipes like pancakes, stews, and stir-fries.
Hand Taste
The Korean term often associated with putting good energy and love into food, including kimchi, is “손맛” (son-mat).
Literally translated, son-mat means “hand taste,” but it goes beyond the physical act of using your hands. It conveys the idea that the cook’s personal touch, care, and love are infused into the food during its preparation. When making kimchi, this concept is especially important, as massaging the ingredients by hand transfers positive energy and intention into the dish. So, when you’re making kimchi, think of son-mat as your secret ingredient—your love and care will make it taste even better!
Resources for Exploration
If you’re ready to step into the world of fermentation, check out The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich for a wealth of pickling ideas. For a traditional and modern take on Korean kimchi, The Kimchi Cookbook by Lauryn Chun is a fantastic resource.
So why not try it? Whether you’re using Napa cabbage in the spring or green cabbage in the fall, kimchi is a year-round adventure. Who knows? You might just eat kimchi at every meal—breakfast included!
A Simple Kimchi Recipe to Get You Started
If you’re ready, here’s a basic cabbage kimchi recipe to try. It makes about 1½ quarts and uses simple ingredients you can find at most grocery stores. Remember, you can substitute any type of cabbage—green, Savoy, or red—and adapt this recipe to the season.
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sea salt (I use Utah’s “Real Salt”)
6 cups filtered water (chlorine-free)
2 pounds Napa cabbage (or any variety of cabbage), cored and cut into 2-inch pieces (reserve two whole outer leaves)
6 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1½ tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons Korean chili powder (or another mildly hot ground chili)
Step 1: Brine
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of salt in 6 cups of water. Submerge the cabbage in the brine, weigh it down with a plate, and let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours.
Step 2: Flavor
Drain the cabbage and reserve the brine. Mix the cabbage with the scallions, garlic, ginger, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Massage the mixture with your hands, infusing it with your care and energy.
Step 3: Ferment
Pack the mixture tightly into a 2-quart jar, covering it with the reserved brine. Lay the reserved cabbage leaves on top and weigh everything down with a smaller jar or weight to keep it submerged. Set the jars in a glass casserole dish to catch any spills during fermentation. Let it ferment in a cool spot (below 68°F) for 3–6 days, tasting as you go.
Step 4: Store
Once the flavor is to your liking, remove the weight and transfer the kimchi to smaller jars if desired. Store it in the refrigerator, where it will continue to develop flavor and keep for up to a year.
Spicy Vietnamese Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
Serves 6
This delicious spicy slaw traditionally includes shredded chicken (ga xe phai). It’s an excellent main dish salad, but I think it also deserves attention as a vegetable side.
You may wonder what’s with the maple syrup in the dressing? I often use maple syrup to balance flavors, because I prefer its mild flavor where sugar is too assertive. Besides, Andrea Nguyen uses it, to the same end, in her recipes, and she’s Vietnamese, so I feel vindicated.
Salad
1 small green cabbage, shredded
3 medium carrots, scrubbed and shredded
½ cup scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh mint, shredded
Cilantro for garnish
Optional salad additions
2 cups shredded chicken, or baked tofu thinly sliced
½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
Dressing
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons salad oil, I used avocado
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a salad bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, scallions and mint together. I use a food processor to shred my cored cabbage and carrots.
Using a mini food processor, or by hand, blend the dressing ingredients together until smooth. If you’ll eat the entire salad for one meal, then dress it right before eating. If not, then only dress the portions you’ll eat. The oil in the dressing will otherwise make it soggy.
Garnish the individual salad bowls with cilantro and peanuts if using.
Sweet Sour Red Cabbage Quick Pickle with Thyme
Makes about 1 quart
15 minutes prep. plus 1 hour of resting time
Lemony and sweet but not too salty. This pickled cabbage is good on its own or try it in a fish sandwich or as a topping for a green salad, especially in winter.
5 cups red cabbage, about one small head, finely shredded
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons runny raw honey
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, smashed and finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely minced
½ teaspoon red pepper powder (or flakes)
In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and massage it in for 1 minute.
Rinse the cabbage, and drain in a colander to remove most of the salt. Add honey, lemon, apple cider vinegar, thyme, and red pepper powder. Toss together and taste. It should taste tart, sweet and a little salty. Add more lemon juice by the teaspoon, and pinches of salt if needed.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. It will keep for days but will soften dramatically after 3 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Lacto-Fermented Mixed Pickles in the Armenian Style
Makes 1 quart
Make your own lacto-fermented, probiotic pickles any time of year! It’s easy with some sea salt, time and produce. Try all one vegetable or a mix like for this recipe. If you’re inspired by more knowledge about pickling, I’d recommend the book “Fermented Vegetables” by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey
Choose vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, celery, onions and green beans to fit snugly in a quart mason jar.
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 sprigs fresh dill
2 tablespoons sea salt
4 cups water
1.Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces. Mix them with the herbs and spices and pack into a quart mason jar with 4 inches of headroom.
2. Dissolve the salt in the water and pour it over the vegetables, leaving 1-inch of headroom at the top of the jar. Tuck a cabbage leaf over the vegetables. Push it under the brine and set a baggie filled with water, or a pickle weight on top of the cabbage leaf. I use a narrow jelly jar filled with water as a pickle weight. Place the quart jar in a rimmed glass casserole dish to catch any spills.
Keep it at a cool room temperature, between 60F and 70F, for 3-5 days.
3. Taste the pickles after 3 days or when you see lots of bubbles, spillage, or the brine gets cloudy. You will also smell pickled aromas. If they’re tangy to your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator to slow down fermentation and enjoy your pickles! If you prefer a stronger tang, leave them out for up to 4 days before transferring to the refrigerator. They should taste more sour than salty.
