How to Make Baechu Kimchi at Home — The Step-by-Step Guide

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.