Ingredients
1 Head of Napa cabbage
1/4 Cup Sea Salt
Water
1/4 Cup Korean Chile Flakes
2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Ginger, minced
4 Green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp. Fish sauce
1/2 Apple
1/2 Pear
Instructions
Separate cabbage leaves and chop into bite-size pieces. Dissolve a quarter cup of sea salt in a bowl of warm water, then pour salt water over cabbage leaves. Give cabbage a gentle toss to distribute salt water. Allow salted cabbage to sit for at least four hours.
Give cabbage a good rinse to remove excess salt and then transfer cabbage to a large bowl.
Combine the Korean Chile flakes with sufficient water to make a thick paste then add to cabbage. Add the minced garlic, ginger, green onions, and fish sauce.
Blend the apple and pear with one cup of water in a Food Processor or Blender and then add to the cabbage. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and give everything a thorough toss and rubdown. You want to evenly distribute all ingredients, especially the red chile paste.
Transfer seasoned cabbage leaves into a large glass bottle. Be sure to use firm pressure with your hands to push down on cabbage leaves as they stack up inside the bottle. Transfer any liquid that accumulated during the mixing process into the bottle as well. This liquid will become Kimchi brine. Some liquid will also come out of the cabbage leaves as you press down on them as they are stacked in the bottle.
Be sure to leave about 2 inches of room at the top of the bottle before capping it tightly with a lid. Allow the bottle of Kimchi to sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Your Kimchi is now ready to eat. Refrigerate and take out portions as needed. The refrigerated Kimchi will continue to ferment slowly in the refrigerator over time. So long as you use clean utensils to take out small portions, it will keep for up to a month or more in your refrigerator.
