Non-Spicy White Kimchi (Baek Kimchi)

Method9 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix ¾ cup pickling-brine coarse salt with the first 4 cups water until the salt is mostly dissolved. Keep this initial pickling brine separate from the later fruit brine.

   Uses ¾ cup coarse sea salt for initial pickling brine; discarded and rinsed off · 4 cups water for initial pickling brine; discarded

2. 2

   Step 2: Cut the large napa cabbage (1 large) into four quarters. Sprinkle the ¼ cup direct salting salt on the thick white parts. Pour the prepared initial pickling brine over the quarters and weight them down so they stay submerged. Leave at room temperature about 90 minutes, until the white parts become flexible, turning the quarters about every 30 minutes.

   Initial cabbage salting · 90 minUses 1 large napa cabbage (1.6 kg), cut into quarters · ¼ cup coarse sea salt to sprinkle on cabbage; rinsed off · Initial salty pickling brine

3. 3

   Step 3: While the cabbage salts, prepare all six fillings: julienne the ½ carrot (100 g) and 200 g radish, cut the 20 g Asian chives into little-finger lengths, julienne the 30 g red bell pepper, and thinly slice the four pitted dried jujubes. Keep these ready with the 1 tbsp pine nuts for stuffing.

   Uses ½ carrot (100 g), julienned · 200 g Korean radish or daikon, julienned · 20 g Asian chives, cut into little-finger lengths · 30 g red bell pepper, julienned · 4 pitted dried jujubes (10 g), thinly sliced · 1 tbsp pine nuts

4. 4

   Step 4: During the cabbage salting, make the separate final kimchi brine: dissolve 1 tbsp final-brine coarse salt in the second 4 cups water. Blend the 300 g peeled/seeded pear, 150 g peeled/seeded apple, 50 g peeled onion, 1 tbsp minced garlic and 1 tsp minced ginger into a puree. Secure the puree in cheesecloth or a fine strainer, soak it in the final salt water and squeeze its juice thoroughly into the water. Discard the extracted pulp; keep the fruit-flavored brine.

   Uses 1 tbsp coarse sea salt for final fruit kimchi brine · 4 cups water for final fruit kimchi brine, separate from discarded pickling brine · 300 g Korean pear or Bosc pear, peeled and seeded · 150 g red apple, peeled and seeded · 50 g onion, peeled · 1 tbsp minced garlic · 1 tsp minced ginger

5. 5

   Step 5: When the salted cabbage ribs are flexible, discard the initial pickling brine. Rinse the quarters several times under running water to remove residual surface salt, then leave them in a strainer to drain for 10–20 minutes.

   Drain cabbage after thorough salt rinse · 20 minUses Salted flexible cabbage quarters · Running water to rinse salt from cabbage several times; amount unspecified, discarded

6. 6

   Step 6: Place the rinsed, drained quarters on a clean board. Starting at the bottom leaves, distribute the prepared carrot, radish, chives, bell pepper, jujubes and pine nuts evenly between the leaves of all four quarters. Put each stuffed quarter cut-side down in a large clean container, about 5 L capacity.

   Uses Rinsed and drained cabbage quarters · All six prepared kimchi fillings

7. 7

   Step 7: Pour all the prepared fruit kimchi brine over the stuffed quarters. Weight them down with a clean plate or suitable fermentation weight so they remain submerged, and close the lid. Leave at room temperature for about 12 hours in summer or 24 hours in winter, then move the container to the refrigerator.

   Initial room-temperature white-kimchi fermentation · 1440 minUses Stuffed rinsed cabbage quarters in the container · Complete extracted fruit-flavored final brine

8. 8

   Step 8: Keep the submerged white kimchi in the refrigerator after the initial room-temperature fermentation. It can be served from about day 3 of making it, and the flavor develops further around day 7; keep it refrigerated and use before it becomes too sour for your taste.

   Uses Initially fermented stuffed cabbage with fruit brine

9. 9

   Step 9: Cut only the chilled kimchi you need into bite-sized pieces; for example, take one quarter at a time and return the remaining kimchi to the refrigerator. Serve the cut cabbage with a few scoops of its prepared kimchi brine spooned over it.

   Uses Selected amount of chilled mature stuffed kimchi · A few scoops of the same matured fruit kimchi brine