Growing up we always had kimchi in the fridge. I enjoyed eating it right away when it "ripened". It was crisp, crunchy and spicy!
This is a "quick" kimchi version that my mom made with a few of my additions. I do use a mortar and pestle to make a garlic paste. Oma was right when she said the garlic was sweeter this way.
Many of the recipes from Oma have no measurements since she seasoned her food with the guide of her taste buds. She would always say "Taste your food as you prepare it". So the measurements I have in the recipes are guides. I adjust to my own taste buds and so should you.
Oma’s Quick Kimchi
Ingredients
Red chili pepper daikon paste
Instructions
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Cut the Napa Cabbage into 2 inch pieces. Place about 1/4 of it in a bowl and sprinkle about 3 Tbs of sea salt over the cabbage. Repeat this process with sprinkling sea salt over cabbage until all the cabbage is in the bowl.
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Add about 3 Tbs of water to the top and mix water over the top of the cabbage. Cover bowl with a towel and let it sit on the kitchen counter for about 4 hours. Cabbage will wilt down and reduce. Take one piece, rinse under water, and taste. If it is a little salty, then it is ready.
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Set aside another bowl on kitchen counter. Place colander in sink. Place about 1/3 of the cabbage in colander then rinse with cold water thoroughly. Grab a handful of rinsed cabbage and squeeze water out, then place in new bowl. Repeat this process until all the cabbage has been rinsed, water squeezed and in new bowl.
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Mix all the ingredients for the paste. Take the red pepper paste and place on top of the cabbage.
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Put on clean gloves and mix the paste with the cabbage very thoroughly. Taste a cabbage and if it isn't spicy enough for you add a little more chili peppers. If it seems too salty, add a tsp of sugar. Be careful to not add too much sugar.
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Pack the kimchi in quart jars to avoid air pockets. Place lid on but do not screw it on tightly. Place jars on top of a dish or tray. Keep at room temperature for 72 hours. During the lacto-fermentation process, you will see bubbles and some juice leaking out.
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After 72 hours, it is ready to eat! Keep refrigerated and it will keep for a few months if it lasts that long. Once it starts to sour, use it in soups.
Note
- Supplies: mortar and pestle, ginger grater, 2 large bowls, 1 colander, 2 quart jars with lids (maybe a pint jar too), sharp knife, cutting board, plates, clean kitchen gloves.
- Most of the ingredients can be purchased from a Korean or Asian store. More traditional recipes call for clams or shrimp, but I find a good fish sauce works best.
