ISO pickled cabbage - Kim Chi recipe

[iamallthatiam]

Does anyone have a recipe they like to share? I like Kimchi but haven't found a good recipe yet. I like the more sour kind.

[Michael in FtW]

Here is a thread we had before on Kimchi that includes recipe.

The sourness is going to depend on the fermentation ... the more it ferments the more sour it will be.

[sallynilly]

My recipe isn't so much a line by line kind of recipe, but a Korean freind showed me how to make it. She likes bok choy, I prefer napa cabbage but here it goes.
Take a good size napa cabbage and chop into bite sized peices. I discard the really big pieces at the end and of course the brown or holy or brown leaves.
In a large bowl layer cabbage and Kosher salt. Cabbage/salt/cabbage/salt using about a quarter cup of salt per layer. It sounds like a lot but it won't come out too salty.
Place a plate weighted by a heavy can or foil covered brick on top of the mixture. Make sure the plate is actually sitting on the cabbage and pressing it down and not just acting like a lid.
Let is sit at least 2 hours, 3 is better.
After sitting awhile and wilting the cabbage, drain the excess water.
Place cabbage in a large glass air tight jar.
Add 4 - 5 tablespoons of chili paste found in Asian markets. What I use has a rooster on it but there are a lot of brand.s I add fresh green onions, about 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup fish sauce, a few shredded carrots and some fresh garlic - like a whole head.
Seal with the lid, shake all this around to mix throughly.
Place the jar in a garage or basement for 3-4 days. Your kim chee will of course ferment faster in warmer temps. In the summer it's max 3 days, in the winter it might be a week.
Check your jar every couple of days and shake around.
Take a test taste and if it's not to your liking sourness wise, give it a couple more days.
Keep in the fridge when it's too your liking.
Good luck!

[GrillingFool]

This is for 2 good size heads of napa cabbage...
As listed below, this will not have a lot of heat.
Add more chili peppers or powder to heat things up.
If you have a Korean grocery in your area, ask them for Kimchee
chili powder.... it is really a key to good kimchee.

GARLIC.. about 10 cloves or more
(1/3 grated, 2/3 chopped)
SCALLIONS.... 4 grated
GREEN ONIONS... 1 bunch, chopped into 1/2" lengths
GINGER... about 1.5 inch, 1/2 grated, 1/2 chopped
SUGAR.... about 2 Teaspoons
FISH SAUCE about 1/2 cup (gotta have this too)
Shrimp Paste, 2 tsp (optional)
THAI PEPPERS, Seeded, 5; Unseeded, 3, minced.
Korean Chili powder... 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Shred about 6 inches of a Daikon radish, and mix all above ingredients
together. Cover and let marinate overnight.

Cut your napa cabbage into 1-1.5 inch, bite size pieces. Make a brine
with about 1 cup of iodine free salt, and add the cabbage. Mix well,
then weigh the cabbage down. Let brine overnight at least. Drain, rinse
2-5 times, squeezing cabbage to remove salty water.

I also add about 2 cups of roughly torn mustard cabbage leaves to the mix now.

Mix well with flavoring mixes. Pack into jar, leaving space at the top.
Push down to remove excess trapped air, cover loosely. Place in a cool
location for 4-6 days. Usually, I let it go for a full 7 days. Taste, add more heat if needed, refrigerate and enjoy!!!.

Be sure to leave some headroom in your jar, because the mix will expand and juices will be created. If your jar is packed full, you will have
a smelly mess.