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Easy Homemade Kimchi

February 17, 2015 By Jessica

I love kimchi for a couple of reasons: one that it lends a vibrant flavor to foods like pizza, hash, fried rice, burgers, bibimbap (recipe coming soon) and soup (think soup is my next kimchi recipe) … or even straight out of the jar because that big, beautiful jar of kimchi is staring right at you when you open the fridge. Or is that just me?

Secondly, it has a ridiculous amount of probiotics. You know, that stuff that you need to populate your gut otherwise your immune system gets all beat up. Yes, that stuff. Probiotics are SO, SO important to stay healthy (click here to read more on that). You can take it in capsule form but this is way better.

Since fermented foods like kimchi are so good for the gut, I usually have some sitting in the fridge that I will give the kids with avocado or eggs for breakfast. They love it, but they also love sauerkraut. If you have kids that may not be too keen on trying kimchi, try my sweet potato hash recipe (see recipe here) or add it into a veggie patty. It’s also delicious in a baked sweet potato with black beans, coconut yogurt, and chives.

If you have bought kimchi before you know it’s not cheap. And with that I decided enough was enough, it’s time to face my kimchi-making fear and make it at home! So I traveled the web for a kimchi recipe and went from there. For what I pay for a small jar I ended up making over half a gallon! Not as convenient as store-bought (you do need to dedicate a few hours for this), but certainly well worth it.

Had I known it was this easy I would have made it ages ago – I thought there was some complicated science to making this stuff – it’s actually quite simple with a little patience. If you love kimchi try this homemade recipe and let me know what recipe you add it to. I’d love to hear what’s going on in your kitchen!

Enjoy!

Kimchi Gluten Free Dairy Free From Jessica's Kitchen

Adapted Recipe from Blogger Maangchi (see here for original recipe) 

Makes about 3 quarts

Total Time: 3 hours
Active Time: 1 hour

Note (s): This is a moderate-heat kimchi. For less spice reduce hot pepper flakes by 1/4 cup and ginger by a tablespoon. I omitted the traditional carrots, if you would like to add carrots see the original recipe for amount. 

Ingredients:

For salting cabbage:

3 pounds napa cabbage (2 medium heads)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt

After salting:

1/4 cup garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup gf fish sauce (I use Thai Kitchen)
3/4 cup gochugaru (hot pepper flakes), buy here
4-5 scallions (green onions), ends trimmed, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 large daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks (see how-to)
1 tablespoon cane or palm sugar

For a vegan option: substitute fish sauce for red miso, if soy tolerant, or leave out.

Preparation:

Kimchi Gluten Free Dairy Free From Jessica's Kitchen

Trim the end of the cabbages and rinse. Cut the cabbage in half, lengthwise, then cut crosswise in 1 inch thick slices. Transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle kosher salt on cabbage and “massage” the salt into the cabbage. Directly cover with a dinner plate or something that will fit snug to apply pressure to the cabbage.

Note: Kosher salt works best. I find sea salt makes the kimchi taste too salty.

Let it sit for 2 hours. Turn over after an hour or so to salt the cabbage well. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.

Kimchi Gluten Free Dairy Free From Jessica's Kitchen

Drain the released liquid into a small bowl, and set aside. Do not discard. Transfer the drained cabbage into a strainer (keep the original bowl) and rinse a few times under cold running water. Add it back to the original bowl.

In another small bowl (last bowl!) combine garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and gochugaru; mix well to form a paste. Add sugar and 1 cup of drained liquid, mix well. Add daikon and scallions to combine. Kimchi Gluten Free Dairy Free From Jessica's Kitchen

Then add the cabbage and “massage” all the ingredients, making sure to fully coat the cabbage, scallions, and daikon. Transfer into clean a half-gallon size and a quart sized glass container (like Ball jars). Seal tightly with lid and let it sit at room temperature for a day or two. Then loosen the lid (just a bit) the next day.

 

Note: The next day you may see bubbling once you loosen the lid, that means it’s fermenting, if not tighten the lid again and check the next day. I kept it out for 2 days since room temperature was about 72 degrees and dry; if warmer and humid refrigerate after one day.

Once it has started to ferment, store in the fridge and use as needed. Refrigeration will slow down the fermentation process, and make the kimchi more and more sour (with more heat) as time goes on.

Will store well in the refrigerator for 2 months.

Full disclosure: Photos below are from another batch (didn’t take photos after mixing ingredients on the last batch) and forgot to take prep photos for the batch below! Oops! But you get the idea 🙂

Kimchi Gluten Free Dairy Free From Jessica's Kitchen

IMG_0855

 

 

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Filed Under: side dishes Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, side dishes, soy-free, vegan-optional

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Comments

  1. Sally says

    February 17, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    Love your blog Jessica! You make this sound so simple that I don't think I can resist an attempt to make kimchi. My son will not want to try this I'm sure but I think if I make a fried rice with it he may.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 18, 2015 at 10:59 am

      Sally, it's so good in fried rice! I too was nervous the first time but it is easier than you think. You can cut the red pepper flakes if medium heat is too spicy. Enjoy!
      Reply
  2. Erin says

    February 17, 2015 at 10:58 pm

    I don't know what I would do with 3 quarts of kimchi but the idea of making it homemade appeals to me and my pocket. It is pricy and I am addicted, maybe 3 quarts is not so much after all :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 18, 2015 at 10:56 am

      Erin, I couldn't believe how much cheaper it is to make it at home (like everything I guess). If you love kimchi (like we do) and have a big family it goes quick, otherwise try halving the recipe.
      Reply
  3. Amy says

    February 18, 2015 at 9:05 am

    WOW! I think I just may take on the challenge of making kimchi -this looks pretty easy. Can I halve the recipe? As good as it looks I just don't know what I would do without much kimchi!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 18, 2015 at 10:55 am

      Sure, I don't see why not. It is a lot of kimchi :)
      Reply
  4. Beth says

    February 18, 2015 at 9:06 am

    I would love to make homemade kimchi, do you think I could use coconut amino's to replace the fish sauce to make it vegan?
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 18, 2015 at 10:54 am

      Great idea Beth. Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
      Reply
  5. Sassy Kitchen says

    February 18, 2015 at 9:43 am

    I probably could use the probiotics since getting sick constantly this winter. Thanks for your probiotic article I didn't realize how important probiotics are for good health.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 18, 2015 at 10:50 am

      Glad it was helpful. Fermented foods like kimchi have lots of probiotics to keep you healthy :)
      Reply
  6. Millie says

    February 18, 2015 at 9:45 am

    I'm obsessed with kimchi and could probably eat all that in a week! I like to make a rice noodle pasta that I add kimchi and shrimp, it is so good!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 18, 2015 at 10:49 am

      Me too! That sounds yummy!
      Reply
  7. Bella says

    February 18, 2015 at 9:55 am

    Where do you buy the really large glass ball jars? Is that 1/2 gallon? Is it okay if I cut the recipe in half? I am nervous about making that much in case I screw it up! :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 18, 2015 at 10:48 am

      Bella, I found mine at Target. I did make a big batch, we are six here! I don't see why you cannot cut the recipe in half. My first attempt made it more watery (flavor was just like kimchi) than I would have liked, the second time was perfect. Not hard at all!
      Reply
  8. Theresa says

    February 18, 2015 at 12:18 pm

    The last time I had kimchi must've been 10 years ago in San Francisco; since moving to the south (Tenn) I haven't seen kimchi anywhere. Thanks for the recipe I look forward to trying this :)
    Reply
  9. Jill says

    February 18, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    I see you don't have shrimp paste in your recipe, do you find it's better without? I would love to try your recipe and make it homemade!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 19, 2015 at 11:46 am

      Jill, I wanted to try without since the brands I buy do not contain the shrimp anyway and from the group consensus here (my oldest son's birthday dinner) it doesn't need it. I think you will love it without the shrimp paste :)
      Reply
  10. Jill says

    February 18, 2015 at 5:40 pm

    I love kimchi but I never thought about making myself. You make it look so easy. Guess what I'm making this weekend?
    Reply
  11. Marina says

    February 18, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    I would like to make this over the weekend but am not sure how to cover the salted cabbage. Do I cover it like covering a saucepan or press down directly on it like for cooking stuffed cabbage? Thank you Jessica :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 19, 2015 at 11:43 am

      Marina, press down directly on the cabbage (I used a dinner plate) to help pull out the liquid. Hope that helps :) Enjoy!
      Reply
  12. Laney says

    February 18, 2015 at 10:17 pm

    This looks great! And thank you for the how-to link on cutting matchstick style I was thinking "whats that!". Can't wait to try this!
    Reply
  13. Tammi says

    February 21, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    I see why you said reserve the liquid. I'm glad I did. I halved the recipe and everything looked terrific and smells amazing with all that ginger in there but saw that it could use three more tablespoons of the remaining liquid so I added it in and it was just the right amount of liquid I think. I plan to try a kimchi soup with it; can't wait!
    Reply
  14. Gina says

    February 27, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    I made this three days ago and now finally took a bite of my homemade kimchi to see how it came out and I just wanted to thank you for an awesome recipe! It has the right amount of spice without being overly spicy where you can't even taste the cabbage like some kimchi recipes I have tried. I'm cannot wait to have it with my eggs and hashbrowns this weekend :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 28, 2015 at 8:51 am

      Thank you Gina for sharing your comment, happy to hear you love it! Enjoy!
      Reply
  15. Sherene says

    March 14, 2015 at 9:07 pm

    Kimchi looks to die for! I love kimchi with everything and yours looks like the real deal. Def trying this!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      March 18, 2015 at 11:55 am

      Thanks Sherene! If you love kimchi you will LOVE this, enjoy!
      Reply
  16. Olivia says

    June 10, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Ha! I too faced my fear of possibly screwing up homemade kimchi. Your recipe was straightforward and right on target with quantity of ingredients. My kimchi turned out great and have been enjoying it with everything! Thanks :)
    Reply
  17. Amy says

    November 18, 2015 at 9:55 pm

    Kimchi came out really good with a good amount of heat. It isn't as watery as store brands. This is better than store bought and taste similar to what I have in Asian restaurants. Good recipe, thanks!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      November 19, 2015 at 9:46 pm

      Thanks for sharing Amy, happy to hear you enjoyed it!
      Reply
  18. G says

    February 10, 2017 at 10:22 pm

    After a day it bubbled on top and along the edges so I refriferated it. Tried it after a week and it was stronger more potent than I thought it would be. Have been eating it every day and interestingly my skin has been clearing up! Worth the effort. :)
    Reply
  19. garyc krasuna says

    September 15, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    anchovy paste should be added with the krill.also cayenne pepper can be sub for red pepper flakes .As far as using cooking kimchi ,i cook it with pork neck bones.
    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi! I'm Jessica, welcome to my blog! I'm a wife and mother of four (all boys, including twins. Did not see that coming!) who loves to eat. Discovering food intolerances in my family and myself had me think about cooking differently with an emphasis on nutrition, but not any less deliciously. No, won't settle for that, neither will my kids! Here you will find simple, healthy, seasonal recipes we love that are gluten, dairy, and soy free. Many are also egg free, nut free, plant-based and/or grain free, given our evolving dietary lifestyle. Even though we live a life of dietary restrictions, my passion for food keeps me on a constant quest to create tasty recipes or adapt our favorite recipes from my stack of cookbooks to bring back the joy of eating again, without sacrificing flavor. Hope you find some inspiration and recipes to enjoy ... thanks for stopping by!

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