Kimchi

The perfect accompaniment to your favourite Korean dish or add it to anything with rice or grains, or serve on the side of griddled meat, fish or veg, or on its own as a colourful salad.⁠

Making a kimchi is pretty straight forward, but you do need patience and forward planning, as the fermentation process in all takes about 9 days, if stored correctly in the fridge, could last up to 6 months, so it is worth the time and effort! Use our recipe as a guideline, but feel free to play around with it, and let us know what different vegetables you add to your version!⁠ Let us know how you like to serve yours!⁠

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 0
Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 large Chinese cabbage⁠
  • 160 g sea salt⁠
  • 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper⁠
  • 5 spring onions, finely chopped⁠
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped⁠
  • 5 cm (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, grated⁠
  • 3 teaspoons to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chilli (pending on how hot you like it!)⁠
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar⁠
  • 600 cold water⁠

Method

  1. Our recipe makes about 3 of our standard jars, or 1 large Kilner jar.
  2. First Stage⁠
    Cut the cabbage in half, then into large bite- sized pieces. ⁠
  3. Place a layer of cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with a tablespoon of salt.
  4. Continue with layers of cabbage and salt, finishing with a salt layer. ⁠
  5. Cover with a dinner plate that will fit as snugly as possible over the top of the cabbage.⁠
  6. Weigh down the plate with something heavy and leave the bowl in a cool place for 3 to 5 days.⁠
  7. Second stage⁠
    Remove the weights and plate, pour off any liquid, then rinse the cabbage well under cold running water.⁠
  8. Squeeze out any excess water and combine the cabbage with the cayenne pepper, spring onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and sugar.
  9. Mix well to combine before spooning the cabbage into a large sterilised jar. ⁠
  10. Pour the water over the top and seal with a tight-fitting lid.⁠
  11. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days before eating.⁠