Homemade Kimchi Recipe: Korea's Fermented Cabbage Explained
Homemade Kimchi Recipe — Korea's fermented cabbage, explained. The salting, the paste, the fermentation, and what to do when it gets sour.
What's in this recipe
Ingredients
Base recipe makes 4 servings
- 1mediumnapa cabbage (~5.5 lbs)
- 0.5cupKorean coarse sea salt (for brining)
- 0.5cupgochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 3Tbspfish sauce (or soy sauce for vegan)
- 3Tbspminced garlic
- 1tspgrated ginger
- 2Tbspsweet rice paste (glutinous rice flour + water, cooked)
- 1smallKorean radish, julienned
- 3stalksgreen onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1smallKorean pear or apple, grated (optional, for sweetness)
Substitutions
No exact match? These work.
Korean coarse sea saltCoarse kosher salt (avoid fine table salt)
GochugaruCrushed red pepper flakes (spicier, use less)
Fish sauceSoy sauce for vegan, or omit entirely
Fermented shrimp (saeujeot)Omit, or use extra fish sauce
Sweet rice pasteMashed potato or flour paste
Korean radishDaikon radish
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl or food-safe container
- Colander
- Small pot (for rice paste)
- Blender or food processor (for sauce)
- Kitchen gloves (gochugaru burns bare hands)
- Glass jar or fermentation container
How to Make It
Cut the cabbage: slice a slit at the base, pull apart by hand into halves, then quarters. Cut only the white part 3-4 inches in, then wiggle to separate.
Salt the cabbage: sprinkle salt between every leaf, focusing on the thick bottom stems. Be generous. Let sit 4-8 hours (or overnight), rotating every 3 hours. The cabbage is ready when the leaves bend easily without breaking.
Rinse the cabbage: rinse 3 times under cold water, gently rubbing the white parts to remove excess salt. Taste it — it should be slightly salty but okay to eat. If too salty, rinse one more time. Drain cut-side down for 30 minutes.
Make the sweet rice paste: mix 1 Tbsp glutinous rice flour with 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until it thickens into a paste. Let cool.
Make the kimchi sauce: blend gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, rice paste, and grated pear (if using) into a thick paste.
Cut the radish into thin matchsticks. Add to the sauce along with green onions. Mix well.
Stuff the cabbage: wearing gloves, spread the sauce between every leaf, concentrating on the thick white parts. Fold each quarter in half and wrap with the outermost leaf.
Pack into a jar: press down firmly to remove air pockets. Leave 1 inch of room at the top (kimchi expands). Cover with a clean leaf on top.
Ferment: leave at room temperature for 24 hours to jump-start fermentation, then transfer to the fridge. Kimchi develops full flavor over 2-3 weeks.
About this dish
Kimchi is not a recipe. It is a process — salt, time, and bacteria doing work that no amount of cooking can replicate. The cabbage goes in raw and stiff, and over weeks it transforms into something sour, spicy, and alive. Every Korean household makes it differently. Maangchi swears by sweet rice paste. Mama Kim mashes potato into hers. The Korean Vegan blends apple and pear for sweetness. They are all making kimchi. The method varies. The principle does not.
The principle is simple: salt the cabbage until it wilts, coat it in a paste of chili, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce, and let time do the rest. The salt draws moisture out of the cabbage and creates an environment where Lactobacillus bacteria thrive. The rice paste or potato feeds those bacteria. The gochugaru gives it the red color and slow-building heat. After a few weeks in the fridge, the cabbage has fermented into something that tastes nothing like what it started as.
The Salting Is Everything
Most kimchi failures come down to the salt. If you under-salt, the cabbage will not wilt properly and the kimchi will be bland. If you over-salt, it will be inedible — but you can fix that by rinsing it one more time or adding more unsalted radish to the stuffing.
Maangchi’s approach is the most precise: sprinkle salt between every leaf, focusing on the thick bottom stems. Let it sit for 4-8 hours, rotating every 3 hours. The cabbage is ready when the leaves bend easily without breaking. The Korean Vegan says the same thing — “when your cabbage leaves can bend a lot more than that without breaking, it is time.” Taste the cabbage before you season it. It should be slightly salty but okay to eat.
The rinse matters too. Rinse the cabbage three times under cold water, gently rubbing the white parts where salt lingers. Then drain it cut-side down for 30 minutes. Wet cabbage dilutes the seasoning and makes the kimchi watery.
What to Make With Kimchi
Kimchi is not just a side dish. It is an ingredient. Fresh kimchi is banchan — you eat it alongside rice and soup. But as it ages and gets sour, it becomes the base for some of the best Korean comfort food there is. Kimchi jjigae is a stew built around sour kimchi, pork, and tofu. Kimchi fried rice is leftover rice tossed in a hot pan with chopped kimchi, sesame oil, and a fried egg on top. Kimchi pancakes are batter and chopped kimchi, pan-fried until crispy. Budae jjigae is army stew — kimchi, ramyeon, spam, and cheese in a spicy broth.
The older the kimchi, the better it works in these dishes. Fresh kimchi is too crunchy and mild for stew. Sour kimchi breaks down and releases its flavor into the broth. If you make a batch now, save some for January. It will be perfect by then.
Once a jar goes sour, put it in kimchi jjigae or kimchi fried rice. For the other plates that sit next to it, see Korean side dishes.
Nutrition per serving
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does kimchi last in the fridge?
Homemade kimchi lasts 5-6 months or more. It continues fermenting slowly, getting more sour. Sour kimchi is not bad — it is better for cooking kimchi jjigae and fried rice. Keep it submerged in its own liquid.
Why is my kimchi too salty?
Rinse the cabbage one more time under cold water. If still too salty, add more unsalted radish to the stuffing. The cabbage should taste slightly salty but okay to eat before seasoning.
Do I need fish sauce and shrimp in kimchi?
Fish sauce and fermented shrimp add deep umami, but they are not essential. For vegan kimchi, use soy sauce or miso paste instead. The fermentation still works without them.
Why do you add rice paste or potato to kimchi?
It acts as a binder and feeds the Lactobacillus bacteria during fermentation. Glutinous rice paste is traditional; mashed potato works too.
How do I know when kimchi is done fermenting?
Kimchi is done when it reaches the flavor you prefer. Fresh is crunchy and mild. After 1-2 weeks it develops tang. After 1 month+ it becomes sour. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours to jump-start, then refrigerate.