Sure, you can buy vegan kimchi at most stores these days, but where’s the fun in that?
I rarely leave anything to ferment longer than 24 hours due to the warm weather we almost always have in this corner of California, but timing will vary depending on location. Remember your kimchi will continue to ferment in the refrigerator, only at a far slower pace.
Now for a few safety notes: Make sure the utensils and equipment are sparkling clean to prevent the introduction of bad bacteria to your batch of kimchi. Wash your hands thoroughly and repeatedly during the process, wearing food-safe gloves to keep things clean and keep your hands from being exposed to ingredients that might irritate your skin. If your kimchi smells off at the end of fermentation, cry a little if you must and then toss it. Sadly, it can happen with fermented foods. Just pick yourself up and try again.
YIELD : Approximately 32 ounces (908 g)
1 head Napa cabbage (about
2 pounds [908 g]), outer leaves removed and cored
¼ cup (56 g) coarse kosher salt or (73 g) fine non-iodized sea salt
Filtered water, to cover
1 small (100 g) Asian pear (aka nashi fruit), peeled if not organic, cored and sliced
3 tbsp (45 ml) Fish-Free Sauce
2-inch (5-cm) chunk daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large carrot, trimmed, peeled and thickly shredded
5 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 tbsp (9 g) minced garlic
1 tbsp (12 g) drained Pickled Ginger , minced
1 tbsp (18 g) white miso
1–4 tbsp (8–32 g) gochugaru (Korean red chile powder), to taste
Equipment: Sterilized 64-oz (1.9-L) food mason jar with airtight lid, 2 large bowls, large colander, wooden spoon
Cut the cabbage in half and then into 2-inch (5-cm) chunks. Wash thoroughly, place in a very large bowl and cover with salt. Put food-safe gloves on and massage the salt into the cabbage. Add enough water to generously cover the cabbage, weighing it down with a plate if needed to submerge all leaves. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight. This will soften the cabbage and start the fermentation process.
Drain the cabbage and rinse it in several runs of water, making sure to rinse between the leaves as well. I like to place the cabbage in a large colander placed inside the rinsed bowl it was soaked in, and do 3 thorough rinses in a row to prevent the kimchi from being overly salty. Let drain for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, place the Asian pear, fish-free sauce, radish, carrot, scallions, garlic, ginger, miso and gochugaru in a large bowl. Wearing food-safe gloves, massage to thoroughly combine. Squeeze the cabbage slightly before adding to the bowl, and massage to coat well.
Transfer the cabbage to the mason jar, pressing down to pack with a clean spoon to make sure no air pockets remain. Leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space at the top of the jar. Seal with the lid, and let stand at room temperature for 24 to 36 hours. Be sure to place the jar in a bowl or on a plate as some of the brine might seep through the lid as the mixture ferments and bubbles.
Open the jar after 24 hours to check for doneness: it should smell pungent and taste sour. Use a clean spoon to press down and release air bubbles, and place the lid back on. Refrigerate now if it’s ready. If not, leave it at room temperature for another 12 to 24 hours. Check and press down with a clean spoon again. Your batch of kimchi can be enjoyed now, but will benefit tremendously from spending at least another 4 days in the refrigerator. The longer it sits, the more its flavor will develop. Use within 1 month.