OFF THE SHELF
Making kim chee doesn't have to be difficult

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

But if you'd like to try it just for fun, start by using a prepared mix. The ingredient list for authentic kim chee pickling paste is daunting: sweet rice flour, salt, sugar and as many as a dozen flavoring ingredients, such as mushrooms, salted shrimp, ginger, lemon juice, seaweed, dried red dates, other fruit and vegetables, plus the inevitable kochu (hot red pepper threads) or kochu karu (hot red pepper powder).

Although there are many, many recipes for kim chee, the one with which we are most familiar is made with napa cabbage — whole leaves, or chopped or sliced leaves. The cabbage is immersed in a very salty brine (1 1/2 cup sea salt to 1 cup lukewarm water) for several hours, until it has the crunchy texture of a cucumber pickle.

Meanwhile, the kim chee maker prepares the pickling mixture, laboriously slicing, mincing and crushing ingredients and forming them into a paste. (Or you can just uncork a commercial prepared mixture like the one pictured here).

The cabbage is drained, and the paste is spread over the leaves or worked into the sliced or chopped cabbage in a large non-reactive container. This is usually done with the hands in a large crockery or plastic bowl, then transferred to a crock or glass jar. Wear rubber gloves. Don't rub your eyes, or you'll be sorry!

Finally, the kim chee is packed into jars and drizzled with just enough water to cover; be sure to leave some space at the top. Cover the jar and double-wrap in plastic bags secured with rubber bands to prevent odors. Allow to mature at room temperature and then keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Source: "Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen" by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall