Okay, I finally have a chance to put up the step by step...

First, I cut up 10 cabbages. I had to separate each leaf and coat it with salt. Then, I placed the cabbage in Ziplock gallon sized bags, to sit for about 5-6 hours.


After they have been sitting, they shrink down quite a bit. This bag had been stuffed full, and now look at it:


If you tilt the bag, you can see how much liquid has been removed from the cabbage during that time. Save the brine in a bowl- you will be using it later in this recipe:


Once you have drained the cabbages and reserved the brine, rinse the leaves, over and over.  Keep taking a small bite of cabbage to see how salty it is.  The leaves should be salty but not too salty.    Rinse at least 6-7 times.  Then SQUEEZE the cabbage over a colander until you have removed as much water as possible.



You'll need onion and ginger next...


You only need about this much of the ginger.  One cool thing about ginger is that you can put it in the freezer and you can just pull it out whenever you need it.    I didn't know this until recently (I heard it on Rachel Ray! lol).

I used to store ginger in the fridge, and only need a small portion of it, and then the rest would rot in the fridge before I'd ever use it again!   The ginger will store for a very long time in the freezer.  


Chop the onion and mince the ginger:


You can also add a few sprinkles of ground ginger if you want... or you can use it as a substitute for the real stuff.


You'll also need fish oil, and Korean chili pepper powder (the fish oil smells awful, just awful, on it's own):


And you can also use the paste, although usually the recipes call for one or the other.  I put in both.


Want to take a peek inside?


Now, I have all the ingredients together. I wasn't able to put the green onions in because I didn't have them on hand today... but you usually would add them, and maybe a few radishes chopped up...


Oops, I almost forgot the garlic.  Look at the size of this clove my father in law gave me from his garden!:


Chop it up and add it to the mixture... (you can make yours smaller bits, of course. I just like big garlic chunks).


Then, wearing your plastic gloves, mix it all up.


Here's what it should look like:




Now, here is my reserved brine...


I have put my kimchi in these little containers that I got at the Piggly Wiggly, at 2 for a dollar.



Then I pour the brine over them, and add enough liquid to almost cover them. 


Then I labeled them, so that I would know when to stop letting them ferment and to put them in the fridge. I am using the 30 hour method, so these sat in the pantry for 30 hours before refrigeration.


Here are some recipes, if you're interested in trying it for yourself.

Here, here, and here.

If you happen to do it, please let me know! I'd be very interested to see your Kimchi batches!