How to Make Kimchi (A Beginner's Guide)

Kimchi is the fiery, funky Korean cousin of sauerkraut. It uses the same basic fermentation magic (salt + time + anaerobic conditions) but layers in gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), garlic, ginger, and fish sauce (or a vegan alternative) for incredible depth.

You don’t need special equipment beyond what you already use for kraut — a good wide-mouth jar or small crock, a weight to keep everything submerged, and an airlock lid are perfect.

What you need (for ~1 quart / 1 liter)

• 1 medium napa cabbage (about 2 lb / 900 g)
• 2–3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt (roughly 2% of cabbage weight)
• 1 small daikon radish or a few carrots, julienned (optional but traditional)
• 4–6 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 2–4 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean coarse chili flakes — adjust for heat)
• 1–2 tablespoons fish sauce (or vegan alternative like kelp + miso)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (helps the chili paste come together)

Gear: A wide-mouth quart jar or 2-gallon crock for larger batches, glass weights, and an airlock lid.

The method

1. Prep the cabbage. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters, remove the core, then chop into 1–2 inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.

2. Salt it. Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and massage firmly for 5–10 minutes until it releases a lot of liquid and wilts. Let it sit 1–2 hours (or up to overnight in the fridge), turning occasionally. Rinse well and drain.

3. Make the paste. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, gochugaru, fish sauce, and sugar into a thick paste. Add a splash of the cabbage brine if it’s too thick.

4. Mix everything. In a big bowl, combine the drained cabbage, daikon/carrots, scallions, and chili paste. Wear gloves and mix thoroughly until every piece is coated red.

5. Pack it. Transfer to your jar or crock, pressing down firmly so the liquid (brine) rises above the vegetables. Leave 1–2 inches of headspace. Add a weight to keep everything submerged.

6. Ferment. Seal with an airlock lid. Leave at cool room temperature (ideally 65–72°F / 18–22°C) for 3–7 days. Taste daily after day 3. When it tastes pleasantly sour and complex, move to the fridge.

It will continue to develop flavor in the refrigerator for weeks. The longer it sits, the more sour and “alive” it becomes.

Troubleshooting

• Not enough brine? Top up with a little salt water (1 tsp salt per cup water).
• White film? Usually harmless yeast — skim it. Fuzzy colored mold means discard and start over (keep things submerged next time).
• Too salty? Rinse the cabbage more thoroughly next batch or ferment a little longer.

Once you have a jar of homemade kimchi in the fridge, you’ll find excuses to eat it with everything — rice, eggs, tacos, grilled cheese, straight from the jar…

For deeper technique and dozens more ferments, the Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz is the bible many of us return to again and again.