Napa cabbage kimchi, or baechu kimchi (배추김치), is one of the most popular and classic kimchi loved and enjoyed all over the world! This kimchi recipe is a traditional and authentic version, made with quartered napa cabbage, which means the process is a bit more labor intensive. For a quicker and easier version, try our geotjeori (fresh kimchi).
Baechu kimchi or napa cabbage kimchi is undoubtedly one of the most popular kimchi and most labor intensive kimchi. Making a small quantity may not seem like much at all, but if you've ever made more than two heads of kimchi at a time, you'd understand why kimchi is a labor of love. So if you ever receive a jar of homemade kimchi, you know you are very loved.
But as laborious as it sounds, making your own, homemade kimchi is just as rewarding, if not more! The flavor, the quality, and the love put into it. You can taste it all.
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What is kimchi?
Kimchi, or kimchee, literally translates to pickled vegetables. So you can technically turn any vegetable into kimchi, like our quick cucumber kimchi (oi kimchi)!
But when we hear kimchi, most of us instinctively think of the classic napa cabbage kimchi Korean BBQ restaurants and other Korean restaurants offer as part of their banchan (side dishes). Or you might be thinking about the red fermented cabbage used in kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew)! You'll usually also see napa cabbage kimchi available at the refrigerated aisles in Korean and most Asian markets.
Napa cabbage kimchi, also known as baechu kimchi, is made with salted napa cabbage, kimchi marinade, and usually a mixture of carrots, daikon radish, and buchu (Asian chives).
Ingredients and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
For the kimchi:
- Napa cabbage - The main star of this classic kimchi! Napa cabbage is usually available at most Asian markets and sometimes at local grocery stories. The price is usually the best at Asian markets.
- Salt - We highly recommend using Kosher salt or any coarse salts. Coarser salts are easier to control when salting.
- Carrot - Mostly to add color, but also adds sweetness, crunch, and helps to bulk up the kimchi.
- Korean radish - This is available at most Asian markets. These radishes are the thicker ones with white and green skin. Korean radish adds sweetness and funk to kimchi. If you can't find Korean radish, daikon radish is good too.
- Buchu - Also known as Asian chives. They really bring the FUNK to kimchi. Asian markets usually sell it in a large bunch, so if you have any leftovers, use it for pork and chive dumplings! They're really tasty.
For the kimchi marinade:
- Rice flour - You can use either regular rice flour (red bag) or glutinous rice flour (green bag). This is for making paste that will help the kimchi marinade bind to the napa cabbage.
- Water - For making the rice flour paste.
- Gochugaru - Also known as Korean red pepper flakes. Make sure to get the coarse gochugaru. The fine version is too fine for kimchi. Also, some Korean markets offer different varieties of gochugaru that differ in spice level. You can choose the one that you prefer.
- Yellow onion, garlic, ginger - These are the base flavors of the kimchi marinade. They also add spiciness to the kimchi.
- Apple or Korean pear - Either of the fruit is good for making kimchi. They serve as a natural sweetener and provide some extra liquid for the marinade. If using apple, we recommend juicy apples, like Fuji.
- Fish sauce - Traditionally, saeujoet, or fermented salty shrimps, are used in making kimchi. It seasons the marinade and gives the kimchi extra funk and umami. These days saeujoet has become quite expensive, so a good fish sauce can be a great substitute.
How to pick the best napa cabbage and Korean radish
The cold season, mid fall and winter, is when napa cabbage and radishes start to come into season. Hence, why homemade baechu kimchi (napa cabbage kimchi) is often made during fall.
When picking napa cabbage, look for ones that feels heavy for its size and has a fresh looking core on the bottom. The weight indicates how full the cabbage is, which usually also means it's got good water content and probably sweeter. Also, if you can find ones with yellow leaves instead of dark green leaves, it means the napa cabbage is younger and more tender. Green leaves are fine too. The leaves may just be a little chewier and nothing is wrong with that!
As for Korean radishes, and radishes in general, look for ones that feel heavy. Just like the napa cabbage, heavy radishes mean they have good water content and not dried out. This is especially noticeable with daikon radish. Light weight ones are usually quite fiber-y on the inside. Lastly, look for Korean radishes that have more green than white. That usually means the radish is sweeter.
How to make authentic kimchi
Clean and cut the napa cabbage:
1. Peel away and discard any undesirable outer layer leaves of the napa cabbage.
2. With the napa cabbage laying on its side, quarter the cabbage long ways. You can also just cut the stem area of the cabbage and rip the rest of the cabbage open with your hand. Repeat with remaining napa cabbage.
3. Trim away excess part of the cabbage core. Then, rinse and wash each quarter of the napa cabbage with water to remove dirt or grim. Make sure to pay extra attention to the outer few leaves. Drain the cabbages as best as you can.
Salt the napa cabbage:
4. In a clean, sanitized area, salt each quarter of napa cabbage by sprinkling salt between each and every layer of leaves, from the root to the tip of each leaves. Make sure to salt more generously around the stems. Repeat with all cabbages.
5. Once all of the cabbages are salted, arrange and stack them in a large bowl. Cover and weigh down the cabbages with something heavy and let them salt for 1½ to 2 hours. Rotate the cabbages every 30 minutes, moving the ones on the top to the bottom.
6. To check if the napa cabbage is done salting, rip off a small leaf of cabbage and rinse it with fresh water. Taste the cabbage. The cabbage will be very bendable and should taste well seasoned at the stem, while the leaf should be a littler saltier but not unbearable. If the cabbage does not taste salted enough, continue with the salting process for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the desired saltiness is achieved.
Make the kimchi marinade:
7. While the napa cabbages are salting, make the kimchi paste. First, make the rice flour paste by whisking together the rice flour and water until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a pan or saucepan and cook over medium to medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the paste starts to thicken, stir constantly until the a thick, slightly translucent paste forms. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool.
8. In a blender, add the apple, onion, garlic cloves, ginger, and fish sauce. Blend everything together until the mixture is well blended. Add half of the gochugaru to the mix and blend until well combined and as smooth as possible.
9. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the cooled rice flour paste, along with the rest of the gochugaru, Korean radish, carrot, and Asian chives. Mix until evenly combined. Set aside until needed
Rinse the napa cabbage:
10. Once the napa cabbages are done salting, rinse the them with fresh water to remove excess salt. Make sure to get between each leaf.
🌟 Pro tip: We like to rinse our napa cabbage in a large bowl of water and repeating the process about 2 to 3 times with fresh water. We recommend tasting the cabbage after the final rinse to see if the cabbage require an additional round or two of rinsing.
11. After the final rinse, gently but firmly squeeze each quarter of napa cabbage to remove most of the excess water, especially the leafy parts. But don’t squeeze too hard or the stems may get bruised and damaged. Removing the excess water helps to prevent the kimchi from becoming too watery and diluting the marinade.
Marinate the napa cabbage:
12. Working with gloved hands and one quarter of napa cabbage at one time, place the cabbage in the bowl of prepared kimchi marinade. Take some marinade and rub it on each leaf. Make sure to also leave some of the julienned veggies in between each layer too!
13. Once the entire quarter of cabbage has been rubbed down with kimchi marinade, fold the cabbage over itself to keep it tight. Repeat with remaining cabbage.
14. Pack the kimchi into sterilized glass jars or BPA free plastic kimchi containers. Make sure to pack the kimchi tightly into the container, but leave about at least 1 inch of space between the top of the kimchi and the lid. As the kimchi ferments, it will release juices and produce gas, so the extra room will help prevent the kimchi from popping off and the juices from overflowing.
🌟 Pro tip: If storing in a kimchi tote, place a sheet of cling film on the kimchi. Make sure to tuck it in and the cling wrap is in contact with the kimchi. This helps to prevent excessive oxidation.
15. The napa cabbage kimchi can be enjoyed immediately after marinating, chilled, or you can let it ferment until it reaches your desired fermentation stage before eating or used in cooking.
How to eat kimchi
Napa cabbage kimchi can be eaten both cooked or raw, as a side dish. Freshly made kimchi stay as "fresh" kimchi for about a couple of days, sometimes up to 1 week, depending on how fast it ferments. Families often make bossam, or boiled pork, to enjoy with freshly kimchi.
As the kimchi ages and ferments, it can still be enjoyed raw. However, the more fermented it gets, the better and more common you'll see it used in cooking. Feel free to cut the kimchi into more manageable, bite size pieces when ready to enjoy.
What to make with kimchi
For all of these recipes, the more fermented the kimchi, the better!
- Instant pot kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) - The Instant Pot can reduce the cook time by half!
- Savory kimchi pancakes (kimchijeon) - Such a great snack and appetizer!
- Budae jjigae (Korean army stew)- Great as a filling, quick meal that takes less than 30 minutes to make! Perfect for weekdays.
- Kimchi chili oil ramen - This is dangerously addictive and flavorful! Another great weekday meal that takes only 10 minutes!
What to eat with kimchi
You can literally have a side of kimchi with any Korean meals or just any meals in general, but these are our top favorites.
- Bossom (boiled pork) - My absolute favorite and must have when we have freshly made napa cabbage kimchi!
- Korean sweet potato and kimchi - This is a classic snack Koreans enjoy with kimchi, especially in the cold weather. Just imagine the cold air, hot sweet potatoes, and crunchy kimchi that's tangy and tingly. YUM! You can watch us make and eat it in our YouTube video.
- Korean BBQ - Of course you can't skip having kimchi with KBBQ! both fresh or fermented kimchi are great. Personally, fermented kimchi is better in my opinion, since the acid from the kimchi helps cut the fat from the meats, so you can eat more! 😉
Rice flour paste
The rice flour paste is made by cooking rice flour with water until it looks thick and slightly translucent. Its purpose is to help thicken the kimchi paste so that it sticks to the napa cabbage. The rice flour paste also adds some natural sweetness to the kimchi, which helps with fermentation.
When we don't have time or don't have rice flour paste available, we sometimes use blend cooked rice with hot water to create a "paste". It works similarly to making rice flour paste.
Recipe tips
- Use Kosher salt or coarse salt to salt the napa cabbage. Coarser salt is easier to sprinkle, and it's easier to gauge how much salt is used and control the saltiness.
- Wear disposable gloves when slathering the kimchi marinade onto the salted cabbages. The marinade will stain your hands and anything it touches.
- Use weights to help the napa cabbage salt faster. The weight helps to compress the cabbage, which ensure the leaves are in contact with the salt so that osmosis does its thing. We like to stack heavy books on a clean plate or bowl.
- Leave at least an inch gap in the kimchi container. The gap is to compensate for the expansion the kimchi will undergo during fermentation. The amount of juices will increase too. If you do not leave enough room or eat enough as the kimchi ferments, it will overflow and leak from the containers.
- If storing the kimchi in a plastic container or kimchi tote, cover the kimchi with a sheet of cling wrap. Make sure the cling wrap is touching the entire surface of the kimchi. This helps to prevent unnecessary oxidation and quicker spoilage.
Storage
Napa cabbage kimchi can be enjoyed right away, but if you prefer your kimchi more acidic, like the store-bought ones, let it sit overnight at room temperature or for a day or two to speed up the fermentation process. Then, keep it refrigerated at all times. You can also transfer the kimchi to the fridge right away once you're done making it, if you prefer a slower fermentation and want to enjoy the taste of fresh kimchi for a few extra days.
Make sure that the kimchi is stored in clean, sterilized glass jars. We often store our kimchi in the gallon glass jars we saved from store-bought kimchi or in quart size mason jars. You can also store the napa cabbage kimchi in clean BPA-free plastic containers, but do let me warn you. The container will most likely be stained orange and will forever smell like kimchi. So make sure to use a container you want to dedicate to storing kimchi.
Lastly, make sure to press down on the cabbages and try to keep them tightly packed together. Do this every time the kimchi is used. This prevents the kimchi from being exposed to a lot of oxygen, which could cause it to oxidize and spoil sooner.
🌟 Pro tip: We also recommend double and triple wrapping the kimchi in a few layers of plastic bag. This is especially helpful if you are storing the kimchi in the same fridge as other groceries. Otherwise, kimchi smell will for sure permeate into everything.
How to sterilize jars
The easiest way to sterilize your glass jars or canning jars for your kimchi is by boiling them. Just bring a pot of water to a boil and gently submerge the jars into the water completely. Let them simmer for 10 minutes for altitudes of 1000 feet or less and add an additional minute per 1000 feet.
Alternatively, if you are using those gallon size jars, you can place the jar upside-down into a pot or pan of simmering water. Let the jars steam for about 15 minutes.
🌟 Pro tip: Place a rack at the bottom of the pot or pan to prevent the jars from having direct contact with the heat and to precent the constant clanking.
Once they are done boiling or steaming, carefully remove the jars and let them cool and dry completely before using.
FAQ
Most kimchi are spicy. Usually, the spice level is around medium, and it's determined by the gochugaru. Most gochugaru are not super spicy, but if you prefer your kimchi extra spicy, you can blend some jalapeño or Serrano pepper into the marinade.
If the kimchi was properly salted, prepared, and stored, it should last up to 6 months, or even a year. But honestly, it could last forever! Do note that, as the kimchi age, it'll go from sweet, to getting sour, and to sour and bubbly. It is not bad! Sour and bubbly kimchi is perfect for jjigae (stews)!
It is not necessary to use carrots, radish, and the Asian chives for making kimchi, however, we highly recommend. The vegetables give the kimchi extra flavor and sweetness. Also, both the Korean radish and Asian chives adds a very particular funkiness that gives kimchi its iconic funk. Although store-bought kimchi usually only use carrots because it's cheaper, homemade kimchi are made with extra veggies because they're made with extra love!
Tasting the napa cabbage is the only way to know if the cabbage is salted enough. To taste the cabbage, take a piece and rinse it well with fresh water. The stem of the cabbage should taste well seasoned while the leaf should taste a little salty but not unbearable. Do note that the salting process preserves the cabbage. So the more salted they are, the longer they will last.
Kimchi can technically be preserved forever, if not, at least 6 months. However, it's all dependent on whether it was properly salted, prepared and stored. If your kimchi smells sour or tastes sour and fizzy, that is totally normal. That means your kimchi is fermenting well. However, if your kimchi is showing signs of molding or discoloration (turning really dark), it would be wise to discard the kimchi.
No. Gochugaru, or Korean red pepper flakes, have a very particular flavor that does not taste like regular red pepper flakes. We highly recommend against using regular red pepper flakes.
If you’ve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Ingredients
For the napa cabbage:
- 8 pounds napa cabbage (usually 2 large heads)
- Kosher salt (about 1 to 2 cups, or as needed, for salting)
For the kimchi marinade:
- 1½ cup water
- ⅓ cup rice flour regular or glutinous
- 1 large apple cut into smaller pieces and discard core (fuji, honey crisp, gala)
- 1 large onion peeled and cut into smaller pieces
- 20 cloves garlic peeled (about 3oz/85g)
- 2 inch knob of ginger peeled and cut into smaller pieces
- ½ cup fish sauce
- 2 cups gochugaru (coarse) divided (also known as Korean red pepper flakes)
Additional veggies for the kimchi:
- 1 pound Korean radish peeled and julienned
- 6 ounces carrot peeled and julienned
- 4 ounces Asian chives cut into 1 inch pieces (discard about 1 to 2 inches the tough stem)
Instructions
Clean and salt the napa cabbage:
- Peel away and discard any undesirable outer layer leaves of the napa cabbage.
- With the napa cabbage laying on its side, quarter the cabbage long ways. You can also just cut the stem area of the cabbage and rip the rest of the cabbage open with your hand. Repeat with remaining napa cabbage.*Please refer to the post above for photo reference.*
- Trim away excess part of the cabbage core. Then, rinse and wash each quarter of the napa cabbage with water to remove dirt or grim. Make sure to pay extra attention to the outer few leaves. Drain the cabbages as best as you can.
- In a clean, sanitized area, salt each quarter of napa cabbage by sprinkling salt between each and every layer of leaves. Make sure to salt more generously around the stems. Repeat with all cabbages.
- Once all of the cabbages are salted, arrange and stack them in a large bowl. Cover and weigh down the cabbages with something heavy and let them salt for 1½ to 2 hours. Rotate the cabbages every 30 minutes, moving the ones on the top to the bottom.
- To check if the napa cabbage is done salting, rip off a small leaf of cabbage and rinse it with fresh water. Taste the cabbage. The cabbage will be very bendable and should taste well seasoned at the stem, while the leaf should be a littler saltier but not unbearable. If the cabbage does not taste salted enough, continue with the salting process for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the desired saltiness is achieved.
Make the kimchi marinade:
- While the napa cabbages are salting, make the kimchi paste. First, make the rice flour paste by whisking together the rice flour and water until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a pan or saucepan and cook over medium to medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the paste starts to thicken, stir constantly until the a thick, slightly translucent paste forms. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool.
- In a blender, add the apple, onion, garlic cloves, ginger, and fish sauce. Blend everything together until the mixture is well blended. Add half of the gochugaru to the mix and blend until well combined and as smooth as possible.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the cooled rice flour paste, along with the rest of the gochugaru. With gloved hands, mix the paste until well combined. Then, add the Korean radish, carrot, and Asian chives and mix well. Set aside until needed
Rinse the napa cabbage:
- Once the napa cabbages are done salting, rinse the them with fresh water to remove excess salt. Make sure to get between each leaf. *We like to rinse our napa cabbage in a large bowl of water and repeating the process about 2 to 3 times with fresh water. We recommend tasting the cabbage after the final rinse to see if the cabbage require an additional round or two of rinsing.*
- After the final rinse, gently but firmly squeeze each quarter of napa cabbage to remove most of the excess water, especially the leaves are. But don’t squeeze too hard or the stems may get bruised and damaged.
Marinate the napa cabbage:
- Working with gloved hands and one quarter of napa cabbage at one time, place the cabbage in the bowl of prepared kimchi marinade. Take some marinade and rub it on each leaf. Make sure to also leave some of the julienned veggies in between each layer too!
- Once the entire quarter of cabbage has been rubbed down with kimchi marinade, fold the cabbage over itself to keep it tight. Repeat with remaining cabbage.
- Pack the kimchi into sterilized glass jars or BPA free plastic kimchi containers. Make sure to pack the kimchi tightly into the container, but leave about at least 1 inch of space between the top of the kimchi and the lid. As the kimchi ferments, it will release juices and produce gas, so the extra room will help prevent the kimchi from overflowing.
- The napa cabbage kimchi can be enjoyed immediately after marinating, chilled, or you can let it ferment until it reaches your desired fermentation stage before eating or used in cooking. Feel free to cut the kimchi into smaller pieces when ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Fish sauce - Traditionally, saeujeot (Korean fermented salty shrimps) was used as the funky, salty seasoning for the kimchi marinade, but these days it has gotten quite pricey. So we opted to use fish sauce instead. If you'd like to use saeujeot instead, use 1 tablespoon of saeujeot for every 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. Also, feel free to taste the marinade and use a bit more or less saeujeot as you see fit, if needed.
- Apple - We recommend using juicy sweet apples, as they will add needed moisture to the kimchi marinade and sweetness. You could also use Korean pear instead. If using Korean pear, we recommend peeling the outer skin.
- Make sure to wear disposable gloves when applying the marinade onto the napa cabbage. The marinade can stain easily.
Cyndy says
Thanks for the recipe! My daughter's Korean friends from college were so surprised to hear that we make our own kimchi.
Mei says
Hi Cyndy!
Thank you so much for trying out our recipe and you are very welcome! It's always a nice treat to have homemade fresh kimchi. The kimchi tastes so much better, it's more budget friendly, and it's a great family activity! 🥰
Happy cooking!
Mei ❤️
Sasha says
How long should we ferment this?
Mei says
Hi Sasha!
Thank you for trying out our kimchi recipe! You can eat this kimchi as soon as you finish adding the marinade. However, if you want the kimchi to have more fermented, sour flavor, ferment the kimchi for at least 1 to 2 weeks. You can even speed the process up by letting the kimchi sit at room temperature for a couple of days (properly covered). The kimchi, if the salting process was completely properly, the kimchi should last at least 6 months and technically years...but it'll of course become very fermented and bubbly.
Hope this helps and answers your question!
Cook with love,
Mei ❤️
Sal says
This recipe is great I followed it fairly close I used pears from my tree and had to add one regular head of cabbage (I didn't buy enough Napa cabbage so slight substitute) very delicious recipe. Would definitely recommend.
Mei says
Hi Sal!
Thank you so much for trying out our traditional kimchi recipe! So happy you could find suitable substitutes in a pinch! That's what cooking is all about. We're also so jealous of your pear tree!
Happy cooking!
Mei❤️
Rosie says
Can I omit the fermented shrimp, I can’t find any locally, or can I substitute it for something else?
Mei says
Hi Rosie!
If you can't find fermented shrimps, you can use fish sauce instead, but you may have to adjust the amount of fish sauce used. You can make the kimchi marinate and add the same amount of fish sauce as the fermented shrimps and adjust from there. Taste as you go until you reach your desired saltiness =) Hope this helps!
Mei ❤️
Lucile says
Thanks for the recipe! I have tried it for my Christmas presents. I am just concerned about one thing : my kimchi is not covered in brime/liquid. It's been left alone for 2 weeds, and I thought it would get covered in time but it is not... Is it OK or should I do something? Is it edible? I have always read that to be well fermented, it as to be well covered up by liquid...
Also, I've made quite big jars. Is it OK to take time to eat it? I mean once open how many weeks can it lasts?
Thank you a lot!
Lucile
Mei says
Hi Lucile!
Thanks for trying our kimchi recipe! The most important step in making kimchi is the salting process. As long the cabbages are properly and well salted, the kimchi will be fine. One recipe of the marinade should be enough for 2 heads of napa cabbage. When the kimchi is first prepared, there shouldn't be a lot of liquid. However, as the kimchi ferments, liquid will release from the cabbages. Even then, there shouldn't be so much liquid/brine that it entirely covers all of the cabbages, unless you made extra marinade.
Kimchi can be eaten as soon as it's finished or you can let it ferment for more pungent and acidic flavors. To accelerate the fermentation process, you can let the kimchi sit at room temperature for one to two days, then refrigerate. If properly stored, kimchi can last quite a few months, if not longer (even after opening). If the kimchi is getting more sour than you'd like, you can always freeze it for cooking (like kimchi jjigae)
I hope this answered your questions =)
Best,
Mei ❤️
Kim says
I really like your comment on rinsing the cabbage after the salting process. I find store bought kimchi to be too salty and unedible. I want to try your recipe. My question is how much sauejeot to add. Your recipe calls for 1/2 cup of fish sauce and you suggested 2 tablespoons of fish sauce for sauejeot. Does this mean half sauejeot so I would add 1/4 cup sauegeot? Thanks you in advance.
Mei says
Hi Kim!
Thank you for bringing the note about saeujeot to our attention! We have updated the notes to make more sense.
You are correct about the substitution. If you wish to substitute all of the fish sauce, we recommend using about 1/4 cup of saeujeot. Of course, if you feel like the marinate needs to be a bit saltier or less salty, feel free to hold back a little or use a little more =)
Happy kimchi making!
Mei ❤️