Fruits of our labor...

November came and went this year, it happened.
As it should. Not everything happened,
but not everything could.

The men strived, strove, and did.
It arrived, the earth gave and we took,
We prepared, salted, saved.

Later it might be, sooner we wanted it.
We tried, we tested, tasted. It fed,
we ate and gave praise and thanks.

  

When you see this at your Korean market, know that the time has arrived.  Yes, it should call to you like the pleasant scent of musty leaves and the hope (misguided of course) of snow in the air.  It's time to get started on your kimchee.  Set aside a lazy day, a warm kitchen, a good playlist, and maybe a drink or two.  Prepare the following ingredients:

• 6 pounds (about 2 heads) Napa Cabbage
• ½ cup Kosher salt

Porridge mixture:

• 2 cups water
• 2 tbls sweet rice flour 
• 2 tbls brown sugar 

Vegetables:

• 2 cups daikon radish - cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup carrots - cut into matchsticks
• 1 bunch green onions - chopped

Seasonings and spices:

• ½ cup garlic cloves - minced
• 2 tbls ginger - minced
• 1 medium white onion - minced
• ½ cup of fish sauce
• 2 cups gochugaru - korean pepper flakes

So now what do I do?  First appreciate that fact that you have this moment to take these beautiful ingredients that you have so carefully selected and are going to apply your hand to make them last a little longer than their brief lifespan would usually allow.  You will take your effort, care, and knowledge to lay the basis upon which other life forces will contribute their part to finish the process. Yes, you will feed the bacteria, and those little guys will repay you in ways you cannot imagine. Let's go!

First, take those beautiful cabbages and quarter them.  Then add another slit, like you are going to halve each quarter, but don't quite go all the way. I tentative touch of the knife towards the eight, but it's only a feint. You can't do it, don't do it...let it be.

(This picture shows a cabbage cut in half, for the fractionally challenged among us. You will cut this again, and then slit, but don't separate the sections once more.) Now you wash these sections, once, twice, three times...and let soak in a large bowl of water for 15 minutes or so.  This will help them later in the process.  

After everyone is clean and soaked, we start the salting process.  Take that kosher salt and start to spring in the flakes from the heart to the outer leaves.  Don't fear, it likes the salt, it needs the salt, it knows that salt is life and salt is taste, and salt is the future!

When every leaf has received its salt scrub, put them in that large bowl again. What's going to happen? The salt will start talking to the water in the leaves and will do a bit of a do-si-do.  You'll see water accumulating in the bowl.  This salting will take 2 hours. Every 30 minutes, rotate your stock, the bottom cabbages to the top and top to bottom.  

While you are minding the cabbage rotation and enjoying some soju or just a warming old fashioned, you can prep the porridge. Not not for your crying baby, but for you salty cabbage babies! Simply get your water to just under a boil, add the rice flour and sugar and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Then set it aside to cool, just like you. You cool cat! 

Now get going on the root veg that will accompany your cabbage in it's new life.  Take your daikon and carrots, make rounds that you will then cut into matchsticks.  Chop up your green onions, (the more the better - can't spell  mary-er / merrier / marry 'er (already did!) whatever) Then mince or process the garlic, ginger, and onion. Set that aside for when it all comes together.

After your two hours of salt spa, you'll have nice and wilted cabbage looking like this, voila!

These lambs are ready for the next step...and the next step is a doozy! First give them a rinse to get the excess salt out and set aside to drain.

Then get your biggest bowl and combine the cooled porridge, the veggie matchsticks, the minced stuff and the chili flakes and fish sauce and make a messy, chunky paste. 

Now get your thickest gloves on because here it comes. Just like you applied the salt to each beautiful leaf, you will lovingly apply some chili paste with veg to each. The cabbage will love you, it will thank you, it will relish that beautiful masque of red richness!  Get in there, let each leaf feel your care. The more evenly and generously you give, the more you will reap!

Hopefully you have prepared your containers, right? Right? Yeah, I always forget this part, but it is important! Prep a crock, a large glass jar, whatever you have that will hold and gently coddle these beauties!  Then you will separate the cabbage quarters on the extra slit.  Now roll them into a nice tight ball, the root in the middle swaddled by the outer leaves.  This ball you will place in your container and repeat. Then be sure to add your leftover sauce and veggies. 

Fill, but not all the way!  The miracle is about to begin. Place these jars of hope on your counter, maybe - no, definitely, put a tray under them and let the feeding begin.  You will start to see bubbles form in the liquid. This will all increase in the next few days, make sure it's not covered too tight or DRAMA! My recommendation is to let it sit for 4 or 5 days out in the kitchen and then let it chill in the 'fridge for 7 to 10 days.  This area is all up to you and your taste in kimchee. Some like it more sour and will let it sit out for longer, some like more of a fresh sweet crunch and will cut this process in half. Taste as you go and see where you like it. 

This is one of the few traditions that I hold dear.  It is a process that not only yields tasty results but reminds me of transformation, the changing seasons, and the ability to work with my hands and in cooperation with natural process I don't often think about.  Like enjoying wine and cheese, making kimchee adds to my appreciation of the aspects of creation we I don't think about everyday.  

Hope you enjoy!

Other references:  Maangchi's tutorial  / Judy Joo's Tutorial