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grandma's kimchi

Ingredients

  • 1 large napa cabbage (5-6 lbs)
  • 1 cup korean coarse salt, if using fine salt use 3/4 cup
  • 5 cups of water
  • 1 lb korean radish, moo
  • 1/4 korean pear
  • 3-4 scallions
  • 1 piece dashima (2-3″ ssquare) boiled in 1/5 cups of water for 5 minutes
Seasoning
  • 1 tbs rice powder mixed with 1/2 cup of water and simmered over low heat until it thickens to a paste. Yields about 3-4 tbls
  • 1/2 cup korean red chilli pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup salted shrimp, finely minced
  • 3-4 raw shrimps, finely minced
  • 3 tbls fish sauce
  • 3 tbls minced garlic
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup of water 

Tools

  • 2 large bowls or pots
  • a large colander
  • kitchen gloves
  • 1 gallon airtight container or jar or a bunch of smaller 2 quart mason jars.
 

Instructions

  1. Cut the thick white part of the cabbage lengthwise in half. Then turn those halves into quarters lengthwise.
  2. In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 c salt in 5 c water. Bathe each cabbage in the salt water and shake off the excess water back into the bowl and transfer to a dry bowl.
  3. Use the rest of the salt and starting from the outermost leaf, sprinkle it over the thick white part of each leaf (rub it in). Use more salt if needed. Repeat with all quarters. Pour the remaining salt water from the first bowl over the cabbage. Let sit about 8 hours, rotate the bottom ones to the top every couple hours.
  4. When the leaves are easily bendable put the cabbage in a colander and rinse it 3x, especially between the white parts, drain cut side down. 
  5. Meanwhile make the rice powder past mixing it with water and simmering over low heat then cool
  6. Prepare the garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, salted shrimps, shrimps, and fish sauce. Combine them with the rice paste and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well. Set aside until the flakes dissolve and become pasty.
  7. Cut the radish and pear into matchsticks and put them in a large bowl. Cut the scallions diagonally into 1″ long pieces. Add the seasoning mix to the radish and mix well with your gloves on by hand. Add the scallions and mix it lightly. Taste it, it should be a little too salty. Let it sit for 30 minutes t let the flavors meld.
  8. Cut off the stem from each cabbage quarter leaving just enough to hold the leaves together. Spread the radish mix over each leaf. 
  9. Take the outermost leaf and fold it over the cabbage toward the stem and wrap it up. Place, cut side up , in a jar or airtight container. Repeat with all cabbages. 
  10. Rinse the bowl with 1/2 c of water and the last of the dashima broth and pour it over the kimchi.
  11. Put into jars, push it down so that the liquid that comes out rises to cover the veggies, leave at least 1 inch of space at the top, place the jar on top of a plate and let it sit at cool room temperature for 1-5 days. 
  12. Check it 1x/day opening the jar and pressing down on the veggies with a spoon to keep them submerged under the brine. Taste a little and when it’s good, store it in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks to develop flavors and ferment. You can slice before you place in jars, but it holds the flavor when you pull it out after it’s sat for about 2 weeks.
  13.  
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