Mom's Traditional Kimchi

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1. 1Step 1: Take off the outer layer of the cabbage, but do not throw it away and do not chop it. This will be used later.
2. 2Step 2: Place the cabbage on a cutting board, and hold it up vertically so the bottom of the cabbage is facing up. Cut down halfway. Then tear the cabbage apart with your hands so you have two halves.
3. 3Step 3: Slice off the core at the bottom of the cabbage and discard core.
4. 4Step 4: Separate cabbage into individual layers and stack them. Cut between the rib (crunchy part of cabbage) and leaf (not the crunchy part—loose leaf on top of rib).
5. 5Step 5: Chop rib and leaf into smaller pieces. Leaf pieces can be big because they will shrink.
6. 6Step 6: Place chopped pieces into an extra large bowl, and don’t forget to include the outer layers we took off earlier (again, don’t chop these outer layers). Our chopped cabbage ended up being 4.125lbs or 66oz.
7. 7Step 7: In your sink, wet cabbage with cold water. This is so the salt sticks to the cabbage. We are NOT washing the cabbage (we will do that later); think of it as coating the cabbage with water. Place soaked cabbage in a strainer to drain excess water.
8. 8Step 8: In an extra large bowl, place a layer of the chopped cabbage and sprinkle salt so that each chopped cabbage is coated in salt. Repeat until all cabbage and salt is used. Don’t forget to add in the outer layers we took off at the beginning on top. Make sure they are salted as well.
9. 9Step 9: For our huge kimchi bowl, this was 4 layers of chopped cabbage (4.125 lbs) with ½ Tbsp of salt added to each layer (2 Tbsp of salt total).
10. 10Step 10: Cover the cabbage bowl. My mom just used a large strainer. Let it sit for about 3.5 hours to prune up a bit (it won’t prune like raisins, but it will get a bit smaller).
11. 11Step 11: After 1 hour, toss around the cabbage and place the outer cabbage layers back on top. Then gently press down on the cabbage so it’s nicely packed. Repeat again 1 hour later.
12. 12Step 12: While chopped cabbage is doing its thing for 3.5 hours, prepare all the ingredients that will flavor up this cabbage into kimchi.
13. 13Step 13: Flour Mixture: Do not turn on the stove’s heat just yet. In a small pot, add in 1 cup of water and 2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour. Whisk ingredients so they are well incorporated. Turn ON the heat to medium-high, and begin mixing this until it creates very slow bubbles (2-3 minutes). Once bubbles form, reduce heat to medium, and keep mixing until a thick consistency forms (3 minutes). Turn off the heat and move it away from that heat. Set aside. It needs to cool completely.
14. 14Step 14: Chop 5 Green Onions: Chop off the very bottom roots and discard. Chop green onions into 1.5 inch pieces. For the bottom part (hard, white stem part) of the green onions, slice into halves as we don’t have thick pieces of green onions.
15. 15Step 15: Food Processor | Onion, Garlic, and optional Asian pear OR Fuji apple: In a food processor, grind ½ medium brown onion until it turns into a textured blend; do NOT blend into juice. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
16. 16Step 16: In that same food processor, mince garlic. You will need ⅔ cup of minced garlic (125g). If you already have minced garlic, skip this grinding step and gather 125g of minced garlic. Pour into the same bowl above and set aside.
17. 17Step 17: If using Asian pear or fuji apple— In a food processor, grind ½ Asian pear (seedless and skinless) OR ½ Fuji apple (seedless and skin on) into a textured blend. Pour into the same bowl and set aside.
18. 18Step 18: Optional: Blend the 1 Tbsp of salted fermented shrimp in the same food processor when grinding the onion or Asian pear/apple (I don’t think the shrimp will blend by itself because it’s a small amount). Completely optional though — we personally blend this because it soaks into the cabbage better this way. Pour into the same bowl and set aside.
19. 19Step 19: Wash Cabbage: After 3.5 hours: the chopped cabbage has soaked in the salt and should have pruned a bit. We now need to wash and rinse it.
20. 20Step 20: In your sink, submerge chopped cabbage in COLD water. Gently toss it around to rinse out any dirt. Do this 2 times. Place cabbage in a strainer, and let the excess water drain for 15 min. Tip: Slant up the strainer to drain water.
21. 21Step 21: Make Kimchi: In a very large bowl, add in all the ingredients and gently mix with hands (wear gloves).
22. 22Step 22: Ingredients to add: Chopped cabbage, drained; Flour mixture; Green onions, chopped; Brown onion, textured blend; ⅔ cup garlic, minced (125g); Optional: Asian Pear OR Fuji Apple, textured blend; 1 Tbsp Salted Fermented Shrimp (Saeujeot) (26g); 1½ Tbsp Three Crab Fish Sauce (30g); 1½ Tbsp Korean Fish Sauce for Kimchi (30g) ( We use CJ brand ); 1 Tbsp Korean plum extract ( We use CJ brand ); ½ tsp Korean new sugar*; ½ cup Korean red pepper powder (57g), be sure to use high quality powder*.
23. 23Step 23: Store in Airtight Container: Store kimchi in an airtight container. We store kimchi in Lock & Lock containers. You can use Mason jars. Any airtight container will do.
24. 24Step 24: Place outer layers on top (this helps cover the air gaps between the chopped kimchi between).
25. 25Step 25: Set aside, at around 60℉ temperature overnight. My Mom just sets it aside in our outdoor patio (during winter season— 50℉ to 60℉, for those living in East cold/colder regions, find coldest area in your home) or dining room (during summer season— room temperature).