Kimuchi

With one head of napa cabbage from Ollin Farm’s CSA I made Kimchi. With the second head, I tried the Japanese version: Kimuchi.

Again, I followed the instructions in The Joy of Pickling:

• 1 head napa cabbage, cored
• 3.5 TB pickling salt
• 1 medium sized carrot, thinly sliced and slivered
• 1 apple, coarsely grated
• 3 scallions chopped into thin rounds
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 TB Korean ground dried hot pepper (thanks again to Savory Spice Shop)
• 1 cup water

The book says to halve the cabbage and then quarter it to gently separate the leaves, and then sprinkle them with 3 tablespoons of salt, rubbing it into the leaves. Set this aside in a large bowl, covered with a weighted plate for 8-10 hours.

Next, drain and rinse the cabbage, gently squeezing out excess liquid. Cut the cabbage into 1-inch squares, mix with the rest of the ingredients, pack into a jar, and wait… with a loosely fit lid for 3-6 days. Then tighten the lid and store in the fridge.

Definitely consult a legitimate reference for any canning or pickling. I am no expert here!