Simple Kimchi Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio of salt to water in kimchi? ›

The amount of salt also varies depending on how much cabbage you're using, but Cho says you should use as little salt as you can while also allowing for safe fermentation — that's about 3 percent salt to water weight, similar to ocean water. Cho prefers Korean coarse sea salt, but a plain old sea salt works in a pinch.

The kimchi fermentation process is very short in comparison to making sauerkraut. Kimchi ferments at room temperature in only 1-2 days or more slowly in the refrigerator. For safety, kimchi should be stored refrigerated and is best eaten within 1 week, as the quality of kimchi deteriorates with longer fermentation.

Therefore, we will need to make a thick glutinous rice flour paste to be mixed with other seasonings. So that they can be better adhered to the cabbage leaves. If you don't have glutinous rice flour, you can also use cornstarch instead! But do not use all purpose flour.

The vegetables need to soak in saltwater for at least 6 hours and preferably overnight. The kimchi can sit at room temperature for up to 2 days and is ready to eat after 2 to 3 days. For longer fermentation, refrigerate.

The Best Types of Salt for Baechu Kimchi

While I love using natural sea salt for kimchi, it's significantly more expensive than Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the salt I use for everyday cooking, and kosher salt works just as well for the brine used in this recipe.

My kimchi is mushy, not crunchy like it should be, what went wrong? It's possible your kimchi fermented in a room that was too hot. Higher temperatures can lead to the bacteria becoming a bit overactive, breaking down the structure of the vegetables.

Along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, kimchi contains natural probiotic bacteria. If you eat them regularly, the probiotics in fermented foods can be beneficial to your gut microbiome. Studies suggest that eating kimchi on a daily basis could help to improve some digestive problems.

I like to add daikon radish sliced into matchsticks for extra texture. It adds natural sweetness and a peppery taste. If you can't find daikon radish, don't worry your kimchi will still taste great without it. I have made this kimchi multiple times without any radish or carrots, and the result was just as tasty.

Tip: It's important not to open the jar during the fermentation process to prevent exposure to oxygen.

If you let your kimchi sit out without taking off the lid, when you do open the jar you'll discover you've been fermenting a high-velocity kimchi volcano. Eun-ji cautioned that if enough pressure builds up the jar will actually explode.

Why add rice flour to kimchi? ›

Adding a viscous texture to the mixture, rice flour porridge acts as a binder.

You'll start by making a kind of porridge to serve as a base for the kimchi paste — I think of it as serving a roux-like purpose. It's made from water and sweet rice flour (also known as mochiko flour, the same kind used to make butter mochi), and helps distribute the flavor evenly across all the leaves.

Almost all Koreans use sea salt for making kimchi, fish sauce, hot pepper paste (gochujang), and fermented bean paste (doenjang), and a less granular Korean brand for everything else.

Remember - the key to fermentation is that the veggies are in an oxygen-free environment, so they need to be submerged in brine. After a few days, begin tasting your kimchi. Some of us like really soft, tangy krauts, others like crunchy krauts.

The most classic type of kimchi we mainly associate with is made with Chinese cabbage, which is either quartered with its leaves attached to the core and swaddled tightly like a baby before being packed in the jar (pogi kimchi), or simply cut into bite-size pieces for convenience.

One rule of thumb is to use 1-3 tablespoons salt per litre (4 cups) of water. The easiest way to calculate the exact amount of salt needed is this simple metric calculation: To create 3% brine in 1000 millilitres (1 litre) of water: 1000 x . 03 = 30.

BRINE If you need or want to add more salt brine to the kimchi, to keep it submerged, mix water and salt at this ratio: 1 cup water and 1 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt . Stir it together first, pour over the kimchi.

When pickling cabbage, about 1 cup (250 g) of salt is needed for each cabbage. If you sprinkle 1.25 cups of salt directly into the cabbage and dissolve 0.25 cups in water and pickle the cabbage, you can make crispy kimchi for a long time.

Amount of Salt in Lacto-Fermentations

The salt content of a typical lacto-fermentation (sauerkraut, kimchi, hot sauce, etc.) is 2%, and this proportion remains constant over the fermentation time. So, if you add 20g (2%) of salt to your fermentation, there will still be 20g of salt several months later!