Korean Garlic Scape Kimchi
Quick answer
- Active time
- 35 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Fruit sweetness from ground pear and onion, the base of the chili paste, cushions the heat.
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The sharp, prickly garlic smell of the scapes survives fermentation and stays in the kimchi alongside their snap. Thirty minutes in coarse salt is just enough for the stalks to bend a little, which lets the thick paste wrap around them. A short two-hour start at room temperature comes before the fridge, and the flavor turns riper after about two days.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Rinse 800 g garlic scapes well under running water, then trim off the tough lower ends and any fibrous tips.
Cut the scapes into even 5 cm pieces so they brine and season at the same rate.
- 2
Sprinkle the cut scapes with 40 g coarse salt and toss lightly so the salt reaches the surfaces.
Let them stand for 30 minutes, turning once halfway, until they bend slightly but still feel crisp.
- 3
Rinse the brined scapes once under running water to remove harsh excess salt, not all seasoning.
Drain in a colander, then press by hand to remove surface moisture so the paste does not turn watery.
- 4
Puree 120 g pear and 100 g onion until smooth.
Stir in 50 g gochugaru, 30 g minced garlic, 45 ml fish sauce, and 30 ml plum syrup, then let the paste thicken briefly as the chili flakes hydrate.
- 5
Add the seasoning paste to the drained scapes and toss from the bottom upward.
Coat every piece red, but avoid crushing the stems, because too much pressure softens the crisp bite that makes this kimchi distinct.
- 6
Pack the kimchi into an airtight container, pressing lightly to reduce air pockets.
Leave it at room temperature for 2 hours to start fermentation, then refrigerate and check again after about two days for a deeper, balanced flavor.
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