Making kimchi at home produces something meaningfully different from commercial kimchi — the flavors are brighter, the fermentation character is more alive, and you control the gochugaru level and garlic intensity. One afternoon produces enough kimchi for 2-3 weeks of eating.
Ingredients (makes approximately 2kg)
Cabbage:
- 2kg napa cabbage (1 medium head, or 2 small)
- 100g coarse sea salt (not iodized — iodine inhibits fermentation)
Rice Porridge (풀 — pul):
- 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 200ml water
Kimchi Paste:
- 80g gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes, coarse-ground)
- 8 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 tbsp)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 3 tbsp fish sauce (eomuk or any fish sauce)
- 2 tbsp salted shrimp (saeujeot), minced (optional — add more fish sauce if omitting)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 4-5 scallions, cut into 3cm pieces
- Optional: 1/2 Asian pear, grated (adds sweetness; traditional in some regional styles)
- Optional: Korean radish (mu), cut into thin matchsticks (200g)
Method
Step 1 — Salt the Cabbage (1-2 hours)
Cut the cabbage: remove the outer leaves (reserve a few for covering). Halve the cabbage lengthwise through the core. Quarter each half by cutting through the core again. You should have 4-8 wedges.
Salt the cabbage: Toss the wedges in a large bowl with the coarse sea salt, working the salt between the leaves. Let sit 1-2 hours. Turn every 30 minutes. The cabbage will release a large amount of water and wilt significantly.
Test: Press a thick stem piece — it should bend without snapping (fully wilted, salt-penetrated). If it still snaps, salt longer.
Rinse: Rinse the cabbage under cold running water 2-3 times until it no longer tastes very salty. Taste the thickest part — it should taste pleasantly salted, not intensely salty. Squeeze each piece firmly to remove as much water as possible.
Step 2 — Make the Rice Porridge
Mix rice flour with 200ml water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a loose pudding consistency (2-3 minutes). Cool to room temperature.
Purpose: The starch provides fermentable sugars for the lactic acid bacteria and helps the paste adhere to the cabbage.
Step 3 — Make the Paste
Combine cooled rice porridge with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, salted shrimp (if using), soy sauce, and sugar. Mix well.
Color check: The paste should be vivid, deeply red. If it looks dull orange, add more gochugaru.
Taste: The paste will be intensely spicy, salty, and pungent from the raw garlic. It should taste too strong to eat on its own — it will moderate significantly during fermentation.
Step 4 — Mix
Wear gloves (gochugaru stains skin orange for hours).
In a large bowl, combine the squeezed cabbage, scallions, and radish (if using). Add the paste. Mix thoroughly — work the paste between the layers of each cabbage piece. Every surface of every leaf should be coated.
Step 5 — Pack and Ferment
Pack tightly into a glass jar or container, pressing down firmly to remove air pockets. The liquid from the cabbage should rise to just cover the surface (if not, add a pinch of salt dissolved in water). Leave 2-5cm headspace for expansion during fermentation.
Cover loosely (not airtight) for the first 1-2 days at room temperature — the CO2 from fermentation needs to escape.
Fermentation schedule:
- Day 1-2 at room temperature (20-25°C): Fermentation begins. You may see small bubbles. The kimchi should be burped (lid pressed to release gas) once or twice.
- After 1-2 days: Transfer to refrigerator. The kimchi is now yeolmu stage — tangy beginning, bright flavor, crisp.
- Week 1-2: Peak eating stage for most people — developed sour notes, integrated flavors, still some crunch.
- Month 1-2: Mugeun kimchi territory — deeply sour, ideal for cooking applications.
Notes
- Gochugaru amount is adjustable — use 60g for milder, 100g for very spicy.
- Vegan kimchi: omit fish sauce and saeujeot; use soy sauce and a small amount of ganjang instead.
- Storage: up to 6 months refrigerated (the flavor changes over time but it's safe to eat). Older kimchi is used for cooking, younger for fresh eating.