Preserve the harvest · Savory preserves 3 of 4
Kimchi
Cabbage and salt, plus chili, garlic and ginger. Packed with live probiotics as long as it's not heated or pasteurized.
Warda PatelDreamDrop Gardens, Plano TX4 min readUpdated November 2026
The recipe
Savory · 3 of 4
Chili, garlic & ginger
Kimchi
Cabbage and salt, plus chili, garlic and ginger. Packed with live probiotics as long as it's not heated or pasteurized.
- Makes
- About 1 quart
- Time
- 30 min + 2 hr salting + 1–5 days
- Keeps
- Months in the fridge
Ingredients
- 1napa cabbage (about 2 lb)
- ¼ cupcoarse sea salt
- 1 cupdaikon radish matchsticks
- 4scallions
- 5–6garlic cloves
- 1 Tbspgrated ginger
- 1 tspsugar, or ¼ grated Asian pear
- 2–3 Tbspfish sauce (or soy sauce for vegan)
- 2–5 Tbspgochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
Method
Step 1: Salt the cabbage
Cut the napa cabbage into 2-inch pieces, toss with the salt, and let it sit 1½–2 hours, turning every 30 minutes. Rinse three times and drain well.
Step 2: Make the paste
Mix the garlic, ginger, sugar, fish sauce and gochugaru. Wearing gloves, toss it with the cabbage, daikon and scallions.
Step 3: Ferment
Pack into a jar, pressing down, and leave 1–2 inches of headspace. Leave at room temperature 1–5 days, tasting daily, then refrigerate.
A note on safety
These recipes are made to be kept in the fridge or freezer. To store jars at room temperature, use a tested water-bath canning recipe, such as those from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and follow it exactly. Never keep garlic or herbs in oil at room temperature, use clean jars and dry spoons, and when in doubt, throw it out.