Our 50 lb Kimjang
Making kimchi with 50 lb of napa cabbage is quite different from making a small batch for a few meals.
For our family, 50 lb of napa cabbage is about six months' worth of kimchi.
That may sound like a lot, but we do not eat all of the kimchi in the same way or at the same time. We use fresh kimchi for meals, and as it continues to ferment, we use the older kimchi for different dishes.
One of the things we enjoy about homemade kimchi is that the flavor changes as it ferments and ages.
Fresh kimchi has a crisp texture and a bright, fresh flavor. As the kimchi continues to ferment, the flavor becomes deeper and more developed.
We use kimchi at different stages depending on the dish we are making.
For some dishes, we prefer relatively fresh kimchi. Older kimchi works especially well when we want a stronger fermented flavor in cooked dishes.
In our home, some kimchi can be kept and aged for a much longer time. Depending on the type of dish, we sometimes age kimchi for two or even three years before using it.
This does not mean that every batch of kimchi should be aged for that long. We choose the age of the kimchi based on how we plan to use it.
For us, making 50 lb of kimchi is not simply about making a large amount of food at one time.
It is about preparing enough kimchi for our family for many months and allowing the kimchi to change naturally over time.
Preparing the Napa Cabbage
We begin by checking every head of napa cabbage.
First, we remove leaves that are damaged, badly wilted, or not suitable for making kimchi.
However, we do not throw away every outer leaf.
Some of the outer leaves are still fresh and clean, even though they are greener and rougher than the inner leaves.
We separate these fresh outer leaves and keep them aside.
These leaves will be salted together with the cabbage.
Later, after we finish making the kimchi, we use the salted outer leaves to cover the top of the kimchi before closing the container.
We can use fresh cabbage leaves that might otherwise be thrown away, and they become part of the final storage process.
Cutting and Salting Large Cabbage
For large heads, we cut them into manageable sections.
Instead of cutting the cabbage all the way through with a knife, we make a short cut at the core and split it open by hand. Cutting a
We do not completely separate every leaf because
Once split, we begin the salting process. We use coarse sea salt and a salt-water brine.
We sprinkle coarse salt generously between the leaves, paying special attention to the thick white stems, which require more time and salt to soften than the delicate green tips.
The cabbages are then placed in a large tub and left to salt for about 10 to 12 hours. Halfway through the salting time, we rotate the cabbages—moving the ones at the top to the bottom—to ensure they absorb the salt evenly.
The final trimming of the cabbage core is not done at this stage; we leave the bottom of the cabbage until after it has been salted and washed.
This makes the workflow easier for us because we can do the final cleaning whe
The fresh out
Washing and Final Trimming After Salting
After the cabbage has been salted for about 10 to 12 hours, we wash it several times with clean water.
We rinse the cabbage carefully to remove excess salt.
Then we place it in large baskets or colanders to drain.
This is when we do the final trimming.
We check the bottom, or core, of each cabbage.
If there is dirt, a rough piece, a damaged section, or anything that should not remain on the cabbage, we cut it away with a knife.
We also check the outside of the cabbage again.
Some areas may be much greener than the inner leaves. If a green outer section is too rough or not suitable for the kimchi, we trim it.
We do not cut away too much of the core because we want the leaves to stay together while we add the seasoning.
This final inspection is important.
The cabbage has already been salted and washed, so now we can clearly see what needs to be cleaned or removed.
After trimming, we leave the cabbage to drain well before seasoning it.
Preparing the Vegetables and Seasoning Ingredients
While the cabbage is draining, we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
For this 50 lb batch, we prepare:
- Korean radish
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Asian pear
- Apple
- Salted shrimp
- Anchovy fish sauce
- Korean red pepper flakes
- Blueberry enzyme
- Sweet rice paste with kelp and dried anchovy stock
- Salt
The radish is cut into thin strips.
We cut the green onions into pieces about 2 to 3 cm long.
This size works well with the shredded radish and makes the seasoning easy to spread between the cabbage leaves.
We prepare the vegetables before mixing the final seasoning so that everything is ready when we begin.
Making Sweet Rice Paste with Kelp and Anchovy Stock
For our seasoning, we make rice paste using stock made with kelp and dried anchovies.
First, we prepare the stock.
We then use the stock to make the rice paste.
Once the rice paste is finished, we let it cool.
We do not mix hot rice paste directly with the other ingredients.
After it has cooled, it is ready to be added to the kimchi seasoning.
The rice paste becomes part of the thick seasoning mixture and helps bring the ingredients together.
Grinding the Main Seasoning Ingredients
Next, we prepare the ingredients that will be ground together.
We put garlic, ginger, Asian pear, apple, anchovy fish sauce and salted shrimp into a blender.
We grind them until they become smooth.
For this batch, we add our homemade blueberry enzyme as part of the seasoning.
How We Strain Raspberry Fruit Syrup and Make Berry Jam from the Fruit
We use it simply as one of the ingredients in our homemade kimchi seasoning.
This is also part of our personal way of making kimchi.
A homemade batch does not always have to be exactly the same as the previous batch.
We use the ingredients we have prepared and adjust the seasoning to suit our taste.
Coating the Shredded Radish with Red Pepper Flakes
This is an important step in our process.
We first put Korean red pepper flakes, commonly called gochugaru (go-choo-gah-roo), onto the shredded radish.
We mix the radish and gochugaru together before adding the rest of the seasoning.
We continue mixing until the white radish takes on a red color.
This gives the radish a deep red appearance and helps distribute the red pepper flakes through the mixture.
After the radish has taken on the color, we add the green onions.
Then we add the remaining seasoning ingredients.
Mixing the Kimchi Seasoning
Now we combine everything.
We add the red-colored shredded radish to the seasoning mixture.
Then we add the ground garlic, ginger, Asian pear, and salted shrimp.
We add blueberry enzyme, cooled sweet rice paste and green onions.
Everything is mixed together thoroughly.
The seasoning becomes thick and colorful.
At this point, we do not immediately assume that the seasoning is finished.
We taste it.
Then we also taste the cabbage.
Adjusting the Seasoning by Taste
This is one of the most important parts of our kimchi-making process.
We use anchovy fish sauce and salt to adjust the seasoning.
But we do not simply measure a fixed amount and stop there.
The cabbage already contains salt from the salting process.
So we taste a piece of the prepared cabbage and compare it with the seasoning.
If the cabbage is already fairly salty, we are careful about adding more salt.
If the cabbage is less salty, we may need to increase the seasoning.
We adjust the amount of anchovy fish sauce and salt based on the actual cabbage we are using.
We also check the overall strength of the seasoning.
Maybe the seasoning needs to be a little stronger.
Maybe it is already strong enough.
We make those decisions while working.
This is what we mean when we talk about Korean home cooking by feel.
There is no measuring spoon that can taste the cabbage for us.
The numbers give us a starting point.
Our hands, eyes, and taste help us finish the recipe.
Seasoning Each Cabbage by Hand
When the seasoning tastes right, we begin coating the cabbage.
We take one piece at a time.
We open the leaves carefully and spread the seasoning between them.
We do not put a very thick layer on every leaf.
Instead, we spread the seasoning evenly, paying special attention to the thicker white parts.
We use our hands to move the radish and seasoning through the cabbage.
With 50 lb of cabbage, this takes a long time.
There are many cabbage pieces to handle, and each one needs to be checked.
But this is also the part of the process where we can clearly see the kimchi coming together.
The pale cabbage slowly becomes covered with the red seasoning.
Packing the Finished Kimchi
After each cabbage has been seasoned, we place it into the kimchi container.
We arrange the cabbage carefully and press it down gently.
We try not to leave large empty spaces between the pieces.
When all of the seasoned cabbage has been packed, we use the salted outer leaves that we saved at the very beginning.
We place these leaves over the top of the kimchi.
Then we close the container.
This small detail is easy to miss when following a simple recipe, but it is part of the way we make our kimchi.
The outer leaves were fresh and clean when we saved them.
They were salted along with the cabbage.
Now they become the final layer on top of our finished kimchi.
Why Our Kimchi Does Not Have Perfect Measurements
When someone sees a recipe for 50 lb of napa cabbage, it is natural to expect an exact list of measurements.
We could give approximate amounts, but that would not completely describe how we actually make our kimchi.
Korean home-style kimchi is often adjusted during the process.
The cabbage may be larger or smaller.
It may contain more or less water.
The cabbage may absorb salt differently.
The radish may be sweeter or stronger.
Even the amount of seasoning we want can change.
So we prepare the ingredients based on experience and then make adjustments while working.
We taste the cabbage.
We taste the seasoning.
We adjust the anchovy fish sauce.
We adjust the salt.
We check the balance again.
That is our version of hand taste.
It is not a secret measurement.
It is simply the habit of using our senses and experience instead of depending entirely on a written number.
Our 50 lb Kimjang
By the end of the process, our kitchen is full of containers, vegetables, cabbage leaves, seasoning, and tools.
Making 50 lb of kimchi is a lot of work.
But the process is also familiar to us.
We start with fresh napa cabbage.
We remove damaged leaves and save the fresh outer leaves.
We cut the large cabbage into manageable pieces.
We salt the cabbage for about 10 to 12 hours.
We wash and drain it.
Then we do the final trimming of the core and outer sections.
While the cabbage drains, we prepare the ingredients.
We shred the radish and cut the green onions into 2 to 3 cm pieces.
We make rice paste using kelp and dried anchovy stock.
We grind garlic, ginger, Asian pear, and salted shrimp.
We prepare the apple and blueberry enzyme.
We coat the shredded radish with gochugaru before mixing the rest of the seasoning.
Then we mix everything together.
We use anchovy fish sauce and salt to adjust the seasoning while tasting the cabbage.
When the flavor is right, we spread the seasoning between the cabbage leaves by hand.
Finally, we pack the kimchi into containers and cover the top with the salted outer leaves we saved at the beginning.
Then we close the lids.
This is how we made our 50 lb batch of homemade Korean kimchi.
For us, the most important part is not having a perfect number for every ingredient.
It is knowing how the cabbage feels, how salty it is, how strong the seasoning should be, and when the mixture tastes right.
Measurements give us a starting point. The final flavor comes from the cook.