This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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 just made my first batch of kimchi, ever! I followed this recipe but ended up with only 1 jar filled and another jar filled half way. Will the kimchi be OK if the jar is only half full? Thank you for this recipe- cannot wait to see how it turns out tomorrow!
yep that’s totally fine
Hi,
By one Bulb of garlic do you mean one clove or one whole garlic? If it is a whole, how big should it be?
i mean an entire head of garlic…so the entire thing. about 10-12 cloves
Hi,
Will anything change if I use cayenne pepper? I am under quarantine and cannot go to the stories but I love kimchi!
Thanks in advance
yes, everything will change. it will be the spiciest thing in the world haha – it’s not the right pepper, unfortunately! sorry :(
I loved the video and decided to follow the recipe exactly. I was amazed at how easy it was to make homemade kimchee. I’d say that the resulting product was fairly close to what you’d get in a good Korean restaurant. It’s also completely vegan, so that definitely is an added advantage. Nice work!!!
Is the red pepper cayenne ?
no, completely different.
@Julie Chiou, thanks for the quick reply. I’ll have to see if the international market sells some.
Julie, we enjoying eating kimchi at lunch or dinner almost every day thanks to your receipt, and I just made 10 lbs of kimchi with cabbage, radish, carrots, and bell peppers. This kimchi receipt is very taste, and simple to make, thanks again!!!!
I love your receipt, and appreciate very much in the way have done it, so simple and so good! I had made few times already, and each time I increase the amount, be cause family can’t stop eating kimchi, and same for us too. Thank your so much!
I absolutely LOVE Kimchi and totally appreciate you putting out this recipe. I read some of the comments before I made this (how funny some people can be) I also LOVED your video on it, adored your real- ness & the visual was very helpful!!
I will say, I didn’t follow the recipe to a “T” and for anyone who has a question about can you use this instead of that…NO!! Not if you want it to be authentic and taste like Kimchi! I played around w/ground red pepper instead of the recommended one and use my Pink Salt…needless to say it just did not taste like Kimchi AT ALL, LOL!! I’m going to go online and order what I should have from the beginning & I’m still going to eat it but as for Batch 1, meh.
And again, thanks for the video and I will be doing it exactly as you have it listed for Batch 2 😁
Preparing with your rings on …
damn, such a dealbreaker to make this recipe
What if I don’t have a blender or a food processor?
unfortunately not sure how you will be able to get everything finely processed. the only other thing i can think of is an immersion blender but that might take a bit of time for this amount of ingredients
@Julie Chiou, It’s only for the onion & garlic, could I just buy it preprocessed from the supermarket? I’m not looking to buy a new electrical appliance for just one dish.
i’ve never seen it pre-processed at the market. i understand not buying a new electrical appliance for just one dish but a food processor or blender can come in handy for SO many recipes – not just this one! again, i understand though, but there’s nothing really i can help you with to process the ingredients without those appliances.
@Gypsy, @julie chiou you can just chop everything with a knife very, very finely or crush with a mortar and pestle like Korean great grannies would have done