Perfectly Salted Cabbage
Quick answer
- Total time
- 490 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 6
About this dish
Before any kimchi paste is spread on, napa cabbage soaks for 6 to 8 hours in sea salt dissolved in kelp and dried shiitake stock that has been cooled completely.
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Most of the dry salt is scattered on the thick stems, and when a stem bends smoothly without snapping, the salting is done.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Trim any damaged outer leaves from 2 heads of napa cabbage.
Cut only a deep slit through the base, then pull the cabbage apart by hand so the leaves stay intact and the white stems split cleanly.
- 2
Put 2 L water, 1 piece dried kelp, and 2 dried shiitake mushrooms in a pot over medium heat.
Once it boils, simmer 5 minutes, then cool completely so hot liquid does not soften the cabbage too quickly.
- 3
Dissolve 1 cup coarse sea salt fully into the cooled base to make the brine.
Use aged salt with the bitterness drained out, and add the optional 1/2 tsp New Sugar only if using it.
- 4
Dip each cabbage half deeply in the brine so liquid reaches between the leaves.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup coarse sea salt mainly between the thick white stems, using less on the tender leafy parts.
- 5
Place the cabbage in a large container and pour in the remaining brine.
Salt for 6-8 hours, turning the top and bottom pieces after 3-4 hours so pressure and brine reach every section evenly.
- 6
The cabbage is ready when a white stem bends softly without snapping.
Rinse 3 times under running water, then set the cut sides down and drain at least 2 hours so kimchi seasoning can cling well.
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