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Jacqueline's Kimchi

Categories: KoreanWorld Cuisine
Contributed by: Jacqueline&David (Jacqueline)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 napa cabbage med-lg (2.5 lbs), sliced in 2 inch strips
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1 bunch scallions (garlic chives can make a nice substitute if you want something different)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp sugar (or less)
  • 3 T Korean red pepper powder
  • 2 T water in sauce plus 2T for rinsing bowl after packing
  • 3/4-1 teaspoon grated ginger root (microplane works well)
  • ~optional, but good: 1 T sesame oil and 2 T sesame seeds; fish sauce (1 T or more?)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place cabbage strips into colander and sprinkle salt between layers. It's good to have more salt on thicker parts & less on thinner parts, I didn't bother. Let colander sit over sink for about 2 hrs. 
2. While cabbage is sitting over sink, mix the sauce ingredients together (could be a good idea to wear disposable gloves for this part so you don't stink for days or have fire sensations in your eyes when you remove your contacts) in a bowl. (Sauce is the scallion, garlic, sugar, Korean pepper powder, water and ginger. Also optional things if using.)
3. Rinse cabbage off  a couple of times under water. Squeeze the water out of the cabbage pieces.
4. Mix squeezed cabbage and the sauce in a large bowl.
5. Pack the kimchi down tight into a large glass container (important that it is glass so it doesn't retain smell after washing.) You might try a 1 qt container or several small containers, but be sure to pack it in and try not to leave much extra room at the top.
6. Cap it and let your kimchi sit out on a counter for 48 hrs (optional: you can just put it in fridge if you don't like it as sour) at a relatively cool temperature.
7. Refrigerate it. It will stay good for a long time, but the longer it lasts, the more sour it will become. Some people love it sour, I don't personally.