2 Essential Methods for Brining Napa Cabbage for Delicious Kimchi
Ultimate Guide: 2 Foolproof Ways to Brine Napa Cabbage for Kimjang
Hello everyone! Are you getting ready for delicious Kimjang (Korean winter kimchi)? The perfect time to make kimchi is after ‘Ip-dong’ (first winter day), when Napa cabbage reaches its peak flavor. This year, due to the long, hot summer, delaying your kimchi making will allow the cabbage to develop a richer taste. Today, I’ll share two simple and detailed methods for brining Napa cabbage, perfect for beginners. Even if you’re a seasoned Kimjang maker, these tips will help you achieve even better results!
Napa Cabbage Preparation
- 6 heads of Napa cabbage
- 400g coarse sea salt (for layering between leaves)
First Brine Soak
- 10 liters of water
- 1kg coarse sea salt (for brine solution)
- 10 liters of water
- 1kg coarse sea salt (for brine solution)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Begin by trimming the outer leaves of the cabbage. Remove any tough, yellowed, or wilted outer leaves. Make a shallow cut at the base of the core and then cut the cabbage in half vertically. This shallow cut at the core helps in splitting the cabbage smoothly.
Step 2
In a large clean container, dissolve 1kg of coarse sea salt completely in 10 liters of water. This is your primary brining solution, referred to as the ‘first brine’.
Step 3
Submerge the halved cabbages in the prepared first brine for about 5 minutes. This step helps to wilt the cabbage leaves and make them pliable. Gently pour some of the brine over the inner leaves with your hands to ensure even wilting. Be careful not to over-wilt the cabbage.
Step 4
Once the cabbages have wilted, carefully transfer them to another large container. Now, it’s time to generously salt the cabbage layers. Gently lift about 3-4 leaves at a time and sprinkle the 400g of coarse salt in between, focusing especially on the thick white ribs and the upper part of the core. Adjust the amount of salt based on the size of your cabbage; you might have a little left over for smaller cabbages or need slightly more for larger ones. After salting all the cabbage layers, pour the remaining first brine evenly over the cabbages. If any salt has fallen off the ribs, sprinkle a little more directly onto the core area. Place a heavy object on top of the cabbages to keep them submerged. The brining time depends on the ambient temperature: 7-9 hours in a warm room, 12-15 hours in a cool place, and 20-24 hours outdoors in cold weather. Midway through the brining process, flip the cabbages over to ensure even salting. This method uses a large container, which is the traditional way. Today, I’ll also show you a convenient method using Kimjang vinyl bags, perfect when you don’t have a large container.
Step 5
The initial step of wilting the cabbage in the first brine remains the same as described above. Once the cabbage has wilted, place it inside a large Kimjang vinyl bag and sprinkle the coarse salt between the leaves in layers.
Step 6
After layering the salt, pour the remaining brine over the cabbage and seal the vinyl bag. It’s crucial to remove as much air as possible before sealing. Place a heavy object on top of the sealed bag to help the brining process. The salt concentration and brining time are the same as the large container method. If you’re using smaller Kimjang bags and can only fit 3 cabbage heads per bag, use two bags. In this case, halfway through brining, open the bag, remove the trapped air again, and reseal. This ensures that the brine released from the cabbage saturates the upper leaves, leading to even brining. If you are using one large Kimjang bag for all 6 cabbage heads, you must open the bag midway through the brining process, flip the cabbages over, and then reseal to ensure they are evenly brined. To summarize: when dividing into two smaller bags, you don’t need to flip them but should remove air and reseal; when using one large bag for all, you must flip them halfway through.
Step 7
Choose whichever method is most convenient for you to brine the cabbage. Once the cabbage is well-brined, rinse it thoroughly under cold water and drain it well in a colander. Tomorrow, I’ll share how to make delicious Kimjang napa cabbage kimchi using these 6 heads of brined cabbage. Stay tuned!
