Hi everybody! I’m introducing “mak-kimchi” to you today! It’s made with napa cabbage (baechu in Korean), pre-cut into bite size pieces, so you can serve it without cutting. This way of making kimchi is really time saving compared to making whole cabbage kimchi. But the taste is exactly the same as whole cabbage kimchi because the ingredients are the same! So I am translating “mak-kimchi” into “easy kimchi.” I hope this recipe makes your life easier! : )
Since I posted my whole cabbage kimchi recipe in June 2007, so many people have surprised me with their kimchi related stories and questions. A lot of my readers make their own kimchi on a regular basis and they email me the photos of their delicious kimchi! Some people modify the recipe to their taste and some people add more ingredients to invent their own kimchi!
For example, Julie made vegan kimchi. She skipped fish sauce and used a little soy sauce and salt instead. Smart! Isn’t it? Some people like Reinier, James, Sylvia, Clyde, Sara make kimchi on a regular basis. They say, “oh, my kimchi runs out, I will make it this weekend.” If any of you reading this might want to be included the list of people who make kimchi on a regular basis, please email me. I will include your names here. : )
I’m surprised to see all these mouth-watering looking kimchi photos!
But as you know, the kimchi recipe was not using exact measurements. You remember? I said, “use 2 medium napa cabbage and 2 radishes.” The size of cabbage is actually huge by American standards! ; ) And the amount of kimchi paste you need to make is for both cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi. Some people only want to make only cabbage kimchi. They sometimes ask me, “Maangchi, can you tell me how much salt do I have to use for only 1 napa cabbage?”
How can I know?
I didn’t measure when I filmed the first video recipe years ago. : ) Anyway, whenever I was asked the similar questions, I felt kind of bad and a little bit guilty and I always thought I should post a more accurate kimchi recipe.
Here you go! : )
So this recipe will be for a total beginner. Just follow the recipe step by step. This recipe is mine that I have been using for my kimchi for decades and popular among even my Korean friends.
If you want to use whole cabbage kimchi, you can check my whole cabbage kimchi recipe and this easy kimchi recipe, then you will figure out what to do. Only difference is how to handle cabbage: cutting , salting, and how to put or mix the kimchi paste with the cabbage!
Did you see how many questions and answers were made for my whole cabbage kimchi? So far 831 comments! These questions are the most frequently asked, so I’m letting you know this.
FAQ
Q: Maangchi, do I have to make porridge to make kimchi? If I don’t want to use porridge, what shall I do?
A: No, you don’t have to. Some people don’t use porridge, but I always make porridge to make good kimchi paste. Porridge helps hot pepper flakes, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and all spices mix together. Otherwise, the kimchi paste will be too thick to put it between cabbage leaves easily. So you can use sweet pear juice instead of making porridge if you want. I sometimes use pear to make kimchi paste, too.
Q: Why do you give a shower to the cabbage before salting? : )
A: If you sprinkle salt on cabbage directly without pre-soaking in water, the salting process will take too long: this is “osmotic pressure.”
Q: Maangchi, kimchi never goes bad? How come there is some white stuff on the top of my kimchi?
A: If you keep your kimchi properly, it won’t go bad months and months. Don’t forget to press down the top of kimchi in the container with a spoon whenever you take some. It will prevent your kimchi from being exposed to air. If you see the top of your kimchi already has white stuff (mold), remove the top layer of the kimchi and you still can eat the rest of the kimchi.
Q: Maangchi, you used squid this time! Last time your kimchi was made with raw oysters! My other Korean friends never use oysters or squid.
A: Kimchi recipes vary from region to region, so some ingredients will be different. You can follow a few different recipes and choose the best recipe that suits your taste.
Q: I’m interested in adding raw oysters or squid in my Kimchi, but afraid that it might go bad so that I may have a stomachache.
A: You should use very fresh oysters or fresh frozen product, then it will ferment along with your kimchi.
Q: Ok, Maangchi, can you tell me how to make the salty, fermented squid for kimchi?
A: Choose about 300 grams (⅔ pound) of very fresh squid. Then:
- Remove the guts and backbone and rinse it.
- Add 3 tbs kosher salt and mix it with a spoon.
- Put it in a container or glass jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a week.
- Rinse the squid thoroughly until not slippery and drain it (you can skin it if you want).
- Dry the squid with paper towel or cotton and chop it up.
- Add it to your kimchi paste!
I answer many other frequently asked questions about making kimchi in this video.
Ingredients
- 10 pounds baechu (napa cabbage)
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup sweet rice flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- water
- 1 cup of crushed garlic
- 1 to 2 tbs ginger, minced
- 1 cup onion, minced
- 1 cup fish sauce
- salty, fermented squid (see FAQ, above)
- 2½ cups Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru) (to taste)
- 2 cups leek, chopped
- 10 green onions (diagonally sliced)
- ¼ cup of carrot, julienned
- 2 cups Korean radish, julienned
Directions
Prepare the cabbage
- Trim the discolored outer leaves of the napa cabbage.
- Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Chop it up into bite size pieces.
- Soak the pieces of cabbage in cold water and put the soaked cabbage into a large basin. Sprinkle salt.
- Every 30 minutes, turn the cabbage over to salt evenly (total salting time will be 1½ hours).
- 1½ hours later, rinse the cabbage in cold water 3 times to clean it thoroughly.
- Drain the cabbage and set aside.
Make porridge
- Put 3 cups of water and sweet rice flour in a pot and mix it well and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the porridge makes bubbles (about 5 minutes).
- Add ¼ cup sugar. Stir and cook for a few more minutes until it’s translucent.
- Cool it down.
Make kimchi paste
- Place the cold porridge into a large bowl. Now you will add all your ingredients one by one.
- Add fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, crushed garlic, minced ginger, and minced onion.
*tip: it’s much easier to use a food processor!
- Wash and drain the salty squid. Chop it up and add it to the kimchi paste.
*tip: how to prepare salty squid is posted on the FAQ above!
- Add green onions, chopped leek, Korean radish, and carrot.
- Mix all ingredients well and your kimchi paste is done.
Action! Mix the cabbage with the kimchi paste!
- Put the kimchi paste in a large basin and add all the cabbage. Mix it by hand.
*tip: If your basin is not large enough to mix all the ingredients at once, do it bit by bit.
- Put the kimchi into an air-tight sealed plastic container or glass jar.
You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented.
You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented.
I usually put all my kimchi in the fridge except for a little bit in a small container. I like fresh kimchi, so this way the kimchi in the fridge ferments slowly and stays fresh, while the smaller container ferments faster and gets sour. I use this sour kimchi for making things like kimchi jjigae where sour kimchi is better. Then, when the small container is empty, I fill it up again with kimchi from the big container. It takes a little management, but experiment and you’ll get the hang of it!
How do you know it’s fermented or not?
One or 2 days after, open the lid of the Kimchi container. You may see some bubbles with lots of liquids, or maybe sour smells. That means it’s already being fermented.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
Anyonghaseyo, Maangchi-ssi! I’ve been making kimchi using this recipe of yours 5 times now, after discovering your site last summer. I’m very grateful for you sharing your wisdom in the kitchen with the rest of us!
My 1st and 2nd batch of kimchi were excellent! Not sour, just how I like it. My 3rd through 5th batch of kimchi, still alright, but they are SOUR (no spoiled, but too sour). I don’t remember that I did anything differently because I used measuring cups, so it’s about the same process each of those times. I put them out 1.5 days each of those times, so I don’t know what is making my kimchi so sour this time around. My friends & family love it, but I want that not-too-sour kimchi back, haha. I’m afraid if I leave it out just for 1 day, it may not “ripen” enough. I originally thought 2 days is too much, so I’ve always stuck with 1.5 days. Help, please! Kamsahamnda!
Great! It sounds like you have been making your delicious kimchi on a regular basis.
Fermentation of Kimchi depends on your room temperature, and the saltiness of your kimchi. Check this out please. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/kimchi-fermentation
This is AMAZING!!! I made a very small first batch last week. Left it on the counter for the first couple of days, just till it started bubbling. Then moved it to the refrigerator for a few more days. Made a late night snack of rice and kimchi. WOW!!!! I have a new favorite food! On my way to my local farmers market to get ALL the ingredients for a FULL batch today! I’m very fortunate to live near many Asian neighborhoods so that I have complete access to ANY Asian food products as well. THANK YOU!!!
ooh it sounds like kimchi gets into your life!
Happy cooking!
Hi Maangchi,
Thank you for this recipe! I love kimchi, but the past few years my stomach has become so sensitive that I can’t eat spicy food. I always wondered if I could make kimchi without any hot pepper, but I wasn’t sure if it would still ferment and turn out okay. However I saw that you recommended using no hot pepper for non-spicy kimchi, so I decided to give it a try. I made it yesterday and today all the liquid came out and it is so good! I’m so happy I can still enjoy kimchi :)
I want to see your kimchi! Please email me the photo.
Hi Maangchi… i’m so excited about making my own kimchi after watching your kimchi video.. but after the fermenting process,my kimchi taste bitter.. i dont know if the radish or the red pepper flakes that make its bitter.. i used radish that i bought from supermarket and its taste a little bit bitter but for sure its not a korea radish because its hard to find korea radish in Malaysia.. its makes me wonder if that radish that make my kimchi got that taste or the red pepper flakes.. can i skip radish in kimchi since i didnt like its bitter taste or it will affect the kimchi taste? please suggest me something =) Last but not least Maangchi, thanks for the superb recipe.. ive tried a bunch of your recipes and i made it succesfully and my husband love it so much except for my kimchi since its didnt turn out like what it should be.. i need ur advice… May God Bless U Maangchi..
Yeah check out the taste of each ingredient that you used. When you find the bitter ingredient, don’t use it in your next batch. We have already talked about this topic before:
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/what-made-my-kim-chi-base-have-a-bitter-after-taste
Hi there Maangchi,
Just watched your video today and realised that you salt the cabbage without water. I have used your recipe for about 3-4 times now, but i have been soaking my cabbage in salt water and turning every half hour instead. does it work the same as your way?
Also, I realised that my kimchi gets very very watery after afew months. What can I do to have less liquid?
Thanks!
– chris –
Yes, I’ve been using this recipe 5 times now, and all those times, I soaked the napa cabbage in salt water and turn out great! Maangchi soaks in salt water, too, because that’s where I got that process from. x)
Kaah!
I’m such a disappointment.
Okay, let me start by saying Im white, very white. My parents are white (obviously) and although one works for Kia motors and has come across kimchi on numerous occasions it is always described as that stinky stuff that burns faces.
So, you can see my trepidation with trying this.
But being the culturally unsatisfied person that I am, I tried it.
I made Kimchi.
BUT I used a recipe from a children cook book, the only Korean cook book in our county.
and guess what it had me do?
It had me Put in WHOLE pepper flakes.
Geeze, I should have known. I tastes kind of like Kimchi, I’ll admit, but, it sure dosent look like it.
Should I have just substituted with Cayane/ground red pepper?
Do you have a smaller version of this for the next time?
thank you :)
Hey Maangchi,
I have been continuing to cook lots of your recipes, and they are all wonderful! But, I have been dodging making kimchi on my own because I’m worried it won’t turn out well. My boyfriend, who is Korean, keeps telling me that I have to just buck up and make it. So, I have decided that tomorrow will be the day. The last time I made kimchi was with my boyfriend’s mom and grandma when I was visiting his family in Korea. Even though I can’t speak much Korean and they couldn’t speak much English, but we could connect through cooking together which was great. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a whole lot of instruction on how to make it on my own, but your video makes it look very easy and approachable and I’m excited to finally jump this hurtle! Now only three people in my house eat kimchi and my boyfriend lives 2 hours away, so I was thinking that I would either half or third the recipe. The only part of the change in this recipe that I have a question about is the salting period. Will the salting time be cut in half or in third if I reduce the recipe by that amount? If you or someone else who has reduced this recipe before could help me with this question that would be fantastic! If not, extra kimchi gives me a good excuse to visit my boyfriend and give him some homemade kimchi like he was back at home :) Thanks so much for your help, and I’ll report back how it goes!
I’m excited about your first time kimchi making!
I hope it turns out very delicious, so you impress your boyfriend with your homemade kimchi!
Your question: “Will the salting time be cut in half or in third if I reduce the recipe by that amount?”
I don’t think so. I wouldn’t reduce the salting time.
So first time on my own went ok. The flavors are spot on, but I didn’t take enough care with drying my veggies so my paste and kimchi were a little watery. I read online that it would still ferment but that the texture of the kimchi might be a little off. Either way I am happy with my results for the first time. Now, I only used half of my kimchi paste and froze the rest. I was thinking that maybe I could add in a little prepared porridge to thicken it up a bit and counteract how runny it became. Do you think that would work to salvage the paste or should I try something else? Thanks!
“I was thinking that maybe I could add in a little prepared porridge to thicken it up a bit and counteract how runny it became.”
I would add more hot pepper flakes to thicken it up instead of more porridge.
Hi Maangchi! I have watched your kimchi videos for a few times and I have to decided to make kimchi soon! Just to ask you, can I use chinese cabbage to make the kimchi instead?
Chinese cabbage is napa cabbage that I use to make kimchi.
It’s called baechu in Korean. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/napa-cabbage
Maangchi! I really love your site! I want to make kimchi so bad, but then i am a college student living alone right now, I don’t think I can make so much kimchi and eat it all by myself!
How can I measure out the ingredients so that I have enough kimchi paste for one large napa cabbage? your recipe is made for bulk kimchi! can I store the kimchi paste for some time instead and use it later on? will it go bad in that case?
please help! thank you!!!
To make a small batch of kimchi, weigh your cabbage first, and carefully divide each ingredient into smaller portions. Any leftover kimchi paste can be stored in the freezer for later use.
Pleasee helppp
So I made kimchi. i placed my kimchi right inside the fridge upon completion. i started to see watery liquid inside my kimchi. and they smell okay. but taste very bitter. cabbage taste very fresh and hard. like it hasn’t been absorbing any of the sauce at all. so is it a fail? i followed your instruction. but slightly more onions and very little garlic. it has been a week now. thank you
“i started to see watery liquid inside my kimchi..’ That’s natural. Press down on the top of the kimchi with a spoon so that the kimchi is submerged in the juice. When it ferments, it will be very deliciou If you want to ferment the kimchi faster, put the kimchi jar or container outside the fridge for a couple of days until it ferments.
Regarding bitter taste of kimchi, please check this out. We have already talked about bitter kimchi.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/slightly-bitter-kimchi
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/what-made-my-kim-chi-base-have-a-bitter-after-taste
I made Kimchi again following your recipe! this time was a resounding success- I feel like I’ve finally got the ‘feel’ for how much salt and how long to salt the cabbage :)
Today I’m making a whole bunch of pickles and preserves to stock up the fridge, so this is one recipe down, a few more to go :)
” I feel like I’ve finally got the ‘feel’ for how much salt and how long to salt the cabbage ” That’s great! You don’t need this recipe anymore! : )
Maangchi,
I love Kimchi. I usually bought it from Korean store where I used to work at. The Korean lady makes homemade Kimchi, which tastes phenomenal. However I would like to try making my own kimchi. I have only 1 question… can I substitute the salty squid with anchovies / anchovies paste?
Thank you :)
What kind of anchovies do you mean? You can skip the squid. It will still be delicious.
It’s anchovies the one that usually sold in a glass jar, such as Cento brand.
I made one without the squid, but I miss some “fishy” kind of taste in it… lol.
hi there, loved your video what music did you use in this?
It’s in the description box at top this page. It’s Youngnam Nong-Ak’ by Kim Duk Soo (Samul Nori)
Hello, I have made your Easy Kimchi and its been in the fridge for at least 2 weeks now. I have pulled it out and tryed it. and it doesnt seem quite right. should I have left it out of the frige for away 1st?
Thanks and i look forward to tryin more of your receipies.
Kelly
Kelly,
you mean your kimchi doesn’t ferment after 2 weeks? If so, you probably kept your kimchi in the fridge right after making it. Take the kimchi out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a couple of days until it ferments.
Thanks for the Quik reply, I will give it a try. I love your Site and your receipies.
hello Maangchi! love your blog!
i do other version of kimchi, completely different to yours. when i saw this, it seems like this is more delicious! keke~ im excited to do this!
keke! yes, let me know the result if you make kimchi! Good luck!
Another delicious kimchi, Maangchi! Just made my first batch of this, and it is beautiful fresh. Couldn’t find oysters or squid this time, so took the plunge and added some frozen scallops, finely sliced. I hope they will be OK over the coming weeks, but even if it isn’t, right now, it’s fantastic!
fantastic! Thank you for sharing the tip about the scallops. Let me know how your kimchi turns out.
Dear Maangchi,
I dont really know if I can find hot pepper flakes here, so what can I use instead? Just chilli paste will do?
We have talked about this topic on the forum. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/chili-powder-versus-red-pepper-powder-or-flakes ChefKibby left a good tip there.
Thanks to Maangchi, I’ve been making my own cabbage kimchee for 2 years. :) You got my Korean-American fiance to like kimchee! I always skip the seafood though (he’s a little afraid!) but I would like to try it with oysters this year since we can get them freshly caught. (I’m on a roll with posting this afternoon…)
“we can get them freshly caught” wow where are you living! I like to go there to catch fresh oysters. : )
Hello !
I just registered on your site which I have been checking out for a while now! I was very happy when i first discovered your site ! I was always interested in Asian cooking ( I am of Romanian nationality ) and since I started watching Korean dramas and movies I wanted to try my luck with korean dishes.
Till now I made dakjuk – which turned out very very delicious and japchae – which was also very very yummy ! Last week I went to the Asian supermarket and spent 100 euros buying all sorts of stuff I saw here:))
Now i want to finally try my luck with this kimchi recipe (although in my family we can’t tolerate too much hot spice). I have some questions though: just how spicy will it turn out? Do kids in Korea eat spicy kimchi ? and from what age? Can I only put half the red pepper flakes ?
The other thing I want to ask is if I can replace the korean radish with daikon radish? I could only find the daikon radish where I leave !
Thank you very much for this wonderful site !
yes, you can replace Korean radish with daikon.
If you are worried about spiciness, use mild hot pepper flakes just like me. I use mild hot pepper flakes so the color is very red when I make kimchi but actually it’s not that spicy.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/hot-pepper-flakes
We had talked about “Korean food for kids” on the forum. Check out mokpochica’s post. She shares some tips with us for preparing food for children.
Thank you very much!
Maanghi, this looks fantastic! Thanks a lot for this quicker recipe! I use to make your whole cabbage Kimchi on a regular basis since more than 3 years now (I just love it and it is very similar to the one made by a korean friend in Germany – silly me, I never learned to make kimchi with her, but I learned many other recipes!). Sometimes I skip the making of a new batch of kimchi due to lack of time, but this “new” recipe would be perfect for those days…
Tipp: my recipe for lazy dinner (Korea meets France meets Southamerica meets Germamy Dinner) when I am alone at home (my partner does not et spicy!): make an omelette (french style) filled with chopped kimchi, sweetcorn (canned) and fresh coriander leave… As you say “Delicious!” sometimes I eatit with rice, and always with a glassof good beer… The perfect match…
Thank you for the good tip! Kimchi omelette!
Kimchi omelette is an AWESOME idea! Thanks for the tip, Kavanaru!
That, and the rice, gets me thinking… kimchi omurice? That would also be fantastic!
hi Maangchi, this kind of Kimchi, can I change the squid to oyster? Thanks
If you use oysters, you don’t need to ferment it. Add oysters to the kimchi paste directly. Check this out please. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/nappa-cabbage-kimchi
Hi Maangchi,
Thank God that I find your website and finaly learn to make kimchi. Just one question: is the leek that you used in this video the same with Asian chives or the big version of green onion? Thanks!
Leek is different from green onions or Asian chives. Check out the photos of each one in the ingredient section please. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/
Hey Maangchi ,
During the soaking process the water needed to salted the napa cabbage , right?And can i use pork to replace the squid?And except the fish sauce what sauce still can i use?:)LOL after saw your video I am so exited to make my own KIMCHI”:)
Follow the recipe please. Soak cabbage in cold water, then sprinkle salt to save some salt. “can i use pork to replace the squid?” Yes, why not, but you will need to use cooked pork. My cousine uses cooked ground beef in her winter kimchi.
thanks for the recipe I really like kimchi korean food
Hi Maangchi, I just came back to Australia after visiting Korea. I loved the food in Korea so much. It’s so great to find your blog. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes in details in both words and videos. You are really amazing. I’ve tried making Mak Kimchi with your recipe and it turned out really good. All my friends that have tried it said it’s really authentic and yummy. I would love you upload the photo here but somehow I can’t b’cos it says I need to join membership to upload. I’ve already signed in tho and still have problem uploading.. I wonder if you can help me on that. Cheers!
ok, finally, I managed to upload the photo! yay!
Your kimchi looks fantastic! https://www.maangchi.com/photo/mak-kimchi-4
Thanks for your reply Maangchi. I will continue to work with your recipes here and show you the photos. ^^
Hi Maangchi, Happy New Year!! I have been making my kimchi with your recipe ever since last year and I always have kimchi available in my fridge now thanks to you ^^ I actually have a question for you this time. I’ve recently heard from a friend that knows a lot of Koreans and she told me one of the things she heard is people actually put ‘7-up” or “sprite” in their kimchi making process. Have you heard of that before yourself? If so, do you’ve recipe for that method? Thanks.
Hi Maangchi! I am a Korean in New Zealand, and used to live close to my mom who made Kimchi and other Korean food and bring it over for me. Recently, i moved away from mom, and awefully missed my mum’s Korean cooking! After finding your recipes though, I gained HUGE confidence and started making my own Korean food. Mom visited me a few weeks ago, and told me that Kimchi that i made from your recipe is better than her Kimchi! That made me feel so good, so THANK YOU MAANGCHI!!! :) I tried most of your recipes and now am quite confident Korean cook. My husband and my kids love Korean food too. Just wanted to say what a big fan I am of your recipes, and I can’t thank you enough for them. :)
“I gained HUGE confidence and started making my own Korean food..” I’m so happy to hear that! Cheers! ^^
Hi,
I watched the emergency kimchi. Can I use napa cabbage and make the easy paste same like emergency kimchi? I watched the regular kimchi recipe and it looks like it takes more time. I’m trying to make it easy with napa cabbage.
Yes, you can but you will have to wait longer for salting. As you saw in my emergency kimchi video, the cabbage is sliced thin strips, so it will salt faster than the cabbage strips for easy kimchi recipe.
Hi
I have not been here in a while. Last time I made some of your recipes I was pregnant and could not stop craving Kimchi. Well I am pregnant again and so craving more kimchi. I had such a great experience with that Kimchi I made last time. I was in FL but now I moved upsate NY, there are no Korean restaurants here so I have to make my own kimchi, and all of the other great recipes you have here. I just want to say thank you again for your website and being so awesome.
I wish I knew I was gonna be craving this earlier because all the stores are closed, but the moment my hubby gets home I am off the market. Yay
Thank you for sharing your kimchi story. It sounds like making kimchi is very easy for you now. Great!
Thanks to you and all your dedication is was easy for me. I know my writing can not really express how grateful I am to you. My husband loved and was so surprised that I could make it. We had an amazing dinner because of you. My parents are from the Dominican Republic so sometimes it is hard to find certain ingredients for foods I want to make. When I went looking for red pepper flakes I went all over town. The last store I went to is the one I that had it, I was so happy about it I think the guy thought I was a bit crazy.
Thank you again, and also I read your blog about your travels and your youtube show, Congratulations. Hard work pays off. And because you love what you do it shows and you spread it around the world. Corny I know.
” I was so happy about it I think the guy thought I was a bit crazy…” You are one of passionate cooks! I know how you felt when you find the hot pepper flakes. : )
hi maangchi,
i’m a big fan of yours from the philippines. i have made many recipes of yours successfully like galbichim, kimchi chigae etc… i tried your easy cut up napa cabbage recipe without the squid but it did not ferment as fast as i would have wanted it to. i was looking forward to making kimchi chigae with it but even 3 weeks later it was still not sour. i must have done something wrong during the salting process. what do you think happened? maybe i should have put in the squid? should i use more salt next time? i used organic sea salt.
Hi Maangchi!
Im curious about how long will my kimchi last if i dont keep them in fridge?I live in a country where it is summer all year long.Will it last for months?
You have to keep kimchi in the fridge, then it will last long time. Otherwise, It will go too sour and soggy. If a refrigerator is not available, I would make a small batch of kimchi and enjoy it in a short time.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/how-long-can-i-keep-kimchi
Hello Maangchi, thanks for the recipes. I was inspired to try Korean foods after watching Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jung Geum) :). Now that I want to try Kimchi, I was wondering if we could use regular cabbage instead.
oh and oyster sauce instead of real oysters?
Oyster sauce is not used in kimchi. You can skip oysters if they are not available.
” I was wondering if we could use regular cabbage instead.” Check out my emergency kimchi recipe made with regular cabbage. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/yangbaechu-kimchi
Hi Maangchi,
First let me say all your recipes look Fantastic! So, I am visiting friends, and wanted to try your Easy Kimchi – but I couldn’t get Hot Pepper Flakes (gochugaru), so I got Sunchang Gochujang instead! Now I’m not sure if I should adjust the recipe or not? Being paste will there be a difference? Thank you!
Yes, hot pepper flakes are used in kimchi not hot pepper paste. But I saw some of my readers mentioned that their kimchi made with hot pepper paste turned out delicious. You can give it a try.
I was too nervous and wanted to taste the full recipe first! So I had a friend find me some real Korean Red Pepper! Now, to get down to business…. :)
Hi Maangchi! I made your kimchi according to your recipe and it turned out great. I halved the recipe because it might be too much for my family and half a recipe was huge too. I found baby chinese cabbage which is the smaller version of the ones you use. My grandma says it’s only available nearer to the chinese new year season. Great because I like the leaves more then the stems. I subbed the white sugar with raw brown sugar. Also for the fish sauce, I used korean anchovy sauce which is pretty much the same isn’t? I didn’t put in the salted squid so my kimchi wasn’t salty enough. I added soy sauce to the mixture and it turned out very good. Though it was time consuming, it was really worth the effort! thank you for sharing this recipe with everyone!
It sounds very deliciious!
Is the Sweet rice flour necessary? What is its purpose? I’ve made some kimchi before without that ingredient and it worked out well.
I used some “red pepper powder” that was from China. It wasn’t that hot tasting straight from the bag, but thankfully I only used one cup. The finished kimchee is HOT HOT HOT!. It is still edible, but at our upper limits. Probably would work very well with a small amount of it mixed with a few cups of Korean red pepper powder.
: ) “Probably would work very well with a small amount of it mixed with a few cups of Korean red pepper powder.” Good idea!
Can I use regular rice flour because i do not have sweet rice flour ?
yes, you can.