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White Kimchi
White Kimchi
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Cuisine
Korea
Author
Chef Karen Wang Diggs
Did you know that authentic kimchi can be made without gochugaru (Korean chili pepper)?
Historically, kimchi was made without the fiery red chili pepper.
Historical Origin: Originally called chimchae, the word evolved over centuries (dimchae,
jimchae, jimchi) to the modern term kimchi.
The name reflects the ancient method of preserving vegetables in salt brine.
- Literal Components:
- 沈 (chim): Submerged, soaked, or steeped.
- 菜 (chae): Vegetable.
- Variations: While often associated with spicy red napa cabbage, the term covers over 100 types of fermented vegetables, including non-spicy white kimchi (baek kimchi)
Ingredients
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1 lb. Napa cabbage (remove core, and cut into 1” squares)
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3 teaspoons sea salt
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½ Fuji apple or Asian pear, leave the skin on, and cut into small cubes
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3 – 4 jujube dates (pit removed, and cut into slivers)
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1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
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2 -3 cloves garlic, minced
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2 stalks of scallion
Directions
Place the cut Napa cabbage in a large (non-plastic) bowl. Sprinkle salt over the cabbage and massage gently with clean hands for about 2 – 3 minutes.
Allow the salted cabbage to rest for about 20 minutes to draw moisture out.
When ready, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pack the mixture into a quart-size, wide-mouth mason jar (OR a Le Parfait jar if you have the ChouAmi top).
Do so by putting about 1/3 of the mixture into the jar, and pack it in with a sauerkraut pounder or wooden spoon. Then proceed with another 1/3, pressing down again. Finish with the remaining ingredients, and do not exceed the shoulder of the jar.
Put your Kraut Source (or ChouAmi) over the jar according to directions.
Allow to ferment at room temperature for a minimum of 7 days, and up to 2 weeks.
(Keep the jar away from direct sunlight, and fill the moat with more tap water as needed.)
