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I FINALLY KNOW HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE KIMCHEE (or homemade kimchi; please read the history of the word ‘kimchee’ and ‘kimchi’ below).
My friend’s Korean mother came over to my house and taught me how to make homemade kimchi/kimchee and I am forever grateful.
I eat so much kimchi/kimchee. I buy bags of them at the Asian mart and they aren’t cheap. One bag is about $13 and it only lasts me about a week.
I also love incorporating kimchee into a variety of dishes.
I put kimchee in fried rice (I have a kimchi fried rice in my cookbook), on top of scrambled eggs, on top of burgers, on top of bulgogi, and so much more.
What is kimchi/kimchee?
Kimchi or kimchee is a staple traditional Korean side dish made of fermented and salted Napa cabbage and radish.
What does kimchee like?
It has a multitude of flavors. The prominent flavors are garlicky, sour, and spicy.
Is homemade kimchee really spicy?
Depends on what kind of kimchee you make and/or buy. Some can be really spicy but with homemade kimchee you can tailor it to your spice level.
Why is it spelled kimchi and kimchee?
Kimchee is the traditional way that South Koreans spell it. Kimchi is made up from the Japanese, but there is history about the spelling that you can explore more here.
Why is homemade kimchi better than store-bought?
- So much cheaper (cost-effective)
- You can make it your own
- You can share with friends and family
- It’s fun!
Can you use American cabbage?
No, it won’t be the same.
Can I use gochujang instead of the red pepper powder?
No, no, no.
Can I use regular salt?
In the video, Chunok told me that you should try to get coarse sea salt and not salt like Morton’s or Diamond kosher salt because it makes the cabbage too soft and wilted and pulls out too much moisture so you’ll have a lot more liquid.
So definitely look for coarse sea salt granules.
What if I can’t find the red pepper powder?
Okay, so I’m about to go on a rant here because everyone wants authentic cultural recipes but no one is willing to actually get the authentic ingredients that make the dish authentic.
You cannot substitute this red pepper powder for anything else. It is specific to kimchi.
It is not the same as cayenne pepper. It is not the same as chili powder. It is not the same as red pepper flakes. It is not the same as red pepper flakes pulverized. It is not the same as sriracha.
Another term for this Gochugaru if you cannot find ‘red pepper powder.’
I know for sure they have it on Amazon.
Please, everyone, if you want to make this authentic and for it to turn out as intended, please stop substituting and please stop lumping all Asian condiments as the same. It’s like saying we can make pasta sauce with ketchup because they’re both red and have tomato in it.
How do I get my homemade kimchee more sour tasting like what I’m used to?
Leave it out longer before you put it in the fridge.
How do I get my homemade kimchee less sour? It’s too pungent for me.
Put it in the fridge earlier. Leave it overnight after you’ve made it and then put it in the fridge in the morning.
What if I don’t have a blender?
You can use a food processor.
What types of jars did you use for your homemade kimchee?
I bought wide mouth half gallon jars. The wide mouth jars make stuffing the kimchi into the jars a lot easier.
Watch us make homemade kimchee and then make it yourself!
Thank you so much Chun Ok for showing me and everyone how to make homemade kimchee! This will be a forever treasured gift.
Homemade Kimchi (Kimchee)
Ingredients
For the cabbage:
- 5 pounds (2268 g) napa cabbage, cut into 1-inch, bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup (146 g) sea salt
- 1 cup (236 ml) water
Seasonings for kimchi:
- ½ medium sweet onion
- 1 bulb garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup (59 ml) water
- 1 bundle green onions, julienned
- ½ cup (118 g) red pepper powder
Instructions
- Place cabbage in a very large bowl. Mix together sea salt and water and stir until sea salt has dissolved. Pour over cabbage and mix together with your hands. Let sit for 1.5-2 hours.5 pounds (2268 g) napa cabbage, 1/2 cup (146 g) sea salt, 1 cup (236 ml) water
- In the meantime, blend together onion and garlic with 1/4 cup water to create a puree. Pour into a medium bowl then mix together with red pepper powder and green onions. If you are making a separate radish kimchi, save a bit of this mixture for the radish kimchi.1/2 medium sweet onion, 1 bulb garlic, 1/4 cup (59 ml) water, 1 bundle green onions
- Once the cabbage has significantly wilted, rinse cabbage to get most of the salt water off. Place back into the very large bowl then toss the cabbage with the red pepper seasoning mixture until well-coated.1/2 cup (118 g) red pepper powder
- Place seasoned kimchi into a large mason jar and using your fist, punch down the cabbage to compress it all in the jar. Keep stuffing the jar until it’s completely full and use another jar, if needed.
- Tightly close the lid on the mason jar(s) and leave out at room temperature overnight. Taste the kimchi the next day and if you prefer to have it more sour, leave out for another day or more. If you think it tastes fine after it has sat out overnight the first night, place in the fridge.
- Kimchi can last for a very long time in the fridge because it’s a fermented dish. I would say probably no more than one year though, but that’s just me haha ;)
I love this recipe. It definitely tastes identical to the kimchi my mother’s friend made when I was a child. I’ve tried other recipes but I could never find one that tasted like this.
Thank you for sharing.
I’m having difficulty dissolving 1/2 cup salt in 1 cup water. Am I missing something on how this is even physically possible? Or am I not trying to get a full dissolution but more of a salty paste?
what kind of salt are you using?
I was using sea salt. From what I read online, even with heating the water to allow better salination, 2:1 water to salt ratio is near physically impossible (with the saltiest bodies of water on earth being more like 3:1 water to salt, at most). Even still, using a salty, sludgy paste was sufficient to rub over the cabbage and extract quite a bit of moisture. Then, after some rinsing, I have a salad spinner (strainer was perhaps the wrong word below) that allows me to throw off the extra moisture like a centrifuge.
Good recipe! I’ll definitely be making some more kimchi in the coming weeks, as I’m already halfway through the batch I just made!
Are you worried about the glass jars breaking from the fermentation process when you leave it out on the counter for the day? Have you ever had a jar explode? I’ve seen some fancy jar lids that are specifically made for fermenting foods.
no, i haven’t had a jar explode, but of course, YMMV and if you are worried, i encourage you to do what you feel comfortable with.
Made some very spicy, delicious kimchi. I noticed mine turned out pretty salty. Some recipes call to rinse the cabbage after the brining and before adding the chili paste. Do you rinse yours, why or why not?
in the recipe it states to rinse. please see step 3
The recipe steps say to rinse before mixing in the seasoning. Would a salad strainer that draws out the moisture make more sense?
i’m not aware of any salad strainer that would draw out moisture. you need to rinse the cabbage to remove excess salt.
The recipe says to rinse. Your note on Jan 2 says you don’t rinse. Your message on March 10th says you must rinse. Can you please clarify?
Thanks!
Lol, I can see how that’s confusing, and I apologize. I must’ve been thinking about another recipe of mine that draws out moisture and I DON’T rinse afterwards. Please follow what it says in the recipe in step 3, which is to rinse.
i made it….but j was told that “red pepper powder” was paprika🙄🤨 i hope it turns out
hi Phyllis, no, the red pepper powder is not paprika.
Can I use Kashmiri Chili powder?
No, that won’t work
Hi Julie, thanks for the recipe, I love seeing things so close to authentic. We can modify it after having fun with the real thing!
I had heard that there was supposed to be fish sauce in kimchee. You don’t mention it at all (including that it’s not authentic). Am I remembering it wrong?
the recipe is from my friend’s Korean mother and written as she told me. she didn’t mention any fish sauce!
I had an abundance of regular cabbage growing in my garden, so I used it for Kimchi. You are right that it is not the same as using Napa cabbage, but it is delicious none the less. We’re going to try growing Napa next year. We’ll see if it will grow in Montana. I hope so.
how neat! good luck with the napa cabbage next year!
I cannot wait to try your recipe! I’ve made Korean style kimchi in the past and used pickled shrimp, which I’d prefer to skip (one less thing to buy!), so I’m happy to see how simple yet applauded this recipe is!
One question though, are you saying to use a whole garlic bulb or just a clove? I like garlic so I’m thinking a while bulb… I just want to be sure. Please confirm, TIA!
yep, a whole garlic bulb!
This was the first kimchi recipe I ever tried and I have no need to look for another one! This is delicious! I found myself running low and couldn’t find this recipe and I panicked a bit. I was able to dig deep into last year’s search history and resurrect it. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!!!!
hi Jennifer! use the ‘save this recipe’ form in the post and it’ll send the recipe link to your email so you can pull it up whenever! i’m so glad you love this so much to remake!
Love this recipe I make it often. Thanks for sharing and thanks to your friend Chun Ok, for videoing with you and sharing her expertise.