Do you need more details about how to process your cabbages for kimjang? This year we are documenting some details of the kimjang process that we learned from our eonni (언니) or older sister. Each year, as we see what questions other people have a the South of Seoul kimjang, this information will likely improve.
Social Lens and Disclaimer
The following blog post about preparing cabbages for kimjang (김장)documents the key points we leared in Korea. If you look online, you may see that other people do things differently. All processes are valid, please learn from all of them. We do not pretend to be kimjang experts. Instead, we want to share the details found important when learning to do kimjang ourselves.
It’s important to learn from 1) Korean’s in Korea who have practiced kimjang for decades and 2) folks new to kimjang explaining how they learned through their mistakes. Both types of content work together to create a full picture of what needs done to create a successful kimjang event.
Preparing Cabbage for Kimjang Kimchi
Purchasing, cleaning, and processing the cabbages for kimjang takes time. Depending on how many cabbages and the temperature of the air it can take 1-2 days. You heard that correctly, it may take days to properly prepare cabbages for the sauce. This is one of the reasons that kimjang makes people feel tired and many people have stopped doing it. They don’t want to be up all night turning cabbages and getting them ready for the sauce.
Preparing Cabbages May Be Cold
The process of preparing the cabbages is also often very cold. Many kimjangs occur outside in October, November, and December when temps are around 5-15 degrees celsius weather. During that time, kimjang attendees are washing cabbages in cold water that makes their hands go numb. That water also gets on their shoes and clothing. It’s not a good feeling for those who aren’t prepared.
That said, when making smaller batches, it’s easier to complete the process on a covered porch or in a warmer kitchen. Everyone is always happy when this is an option. At our home, we do this since we live in a villa apartment. So, don’t run away from the idea of kimjang. You can do it in a warm, comfortable space.
Type of Cabbage Used for Kimjang
In South Korea, Napa cabbage, known locally as “baechu” (배추) is the most commonly used type of cabbage for kimjang. Baechu is particularly well-suited for making kimchi due to its mild flavor, crisp texture, and the way its leaves are layered. They layered leaves making baechu easy to coat with seasonings and fold into kimchi bundles for storage.
The specific Napa cabbage used for kimjang has big green leaves and a hearty stem. You don’t want the super cleaned up versions that have been picked clean of their outer leaves. This variety is prized for its large, round heads and thick, white stems. The combination of tender, green leaves and crisp, juicy stems makes this baechu ideal for creating delicious and well-balanced kimchi.
Access Outside of Korea
Please understand that this blog is about kimjang in Korea which means we have access to the ideal cabbages. Many people, including Koreans, outside of Korea don’t have access to the ideal cabbage and use the cabbage pictured above on the left. This will change the flavor of the kimchi and it’s still delicious. No reason to judge people for making things with what they have available.
Selecting the Right Baechu
Choosing the right baechu is a critical factor in the kimjang process, as the quality and characteristics of the cabbage significantly influence the final taste and texture of the kimchi. Let’s explore how to choose the perfect cabbages for kimjang:
- Texture: Cabbages provide the main bulk and texture to kimchi. When prepared correctly, cabbages should be crisp and crunchy, which adds a satisfying mouthfeel to the kimchi. The texture of cabbages contrasts with the softer and more tender parts of other ingredients, creating a pleasant balance. Do not use limp cabbages. You want firmly textured leaves.
- Sweet flavor: Cabbages serve as a neutral base that balances the bold and pungent flavors of the seasonings and other vegetables in kimchi. Their mild and slightly sweet taste provides a harmonious backdrop for the various spicy, salty, and umami-rich components of kimchi, resulting in a well-rounded flavor profile. Depending on the weather, the cabbage may be very bitter. This often happens during hot summers. If your cabbage is bitter you will need to adjust your dasaeri jang.
- Bushy green outer leaves: You will need the deep, lush outer leaves to wrap your kimchi for fermentation. You don’t want to choose a cabbage that has been stripped of its outer leaves.
- Tightly packed leaves: You don’t want loose floppy cabbage leaves.
- Cabbage size: The women that we have made kimchi with prefer medium-sized cabbage of 2-3 kilograms each for their kimchi. They say that processing the larger cabbages is too much work and the smaller ones aren’t good. We’ve never heard a lot of specifics beyond this. We suspect size may also impact flavor but we aren’t sure how. We just do what we are told.
In the Western world, it might be hard to find the right baechu with the stem and big green outer leaves. All of this will impact the flavor and texture of the kimchi but that shouldn’t stop you from making kimchi. It simply might mean you don’t have the perfect kimchi for kimchijjigae but it’s still perfectly fine for a delicious lunch.
Cleaning Baechu
The first thing you need to do after you get your cabbages home is clean them. This usually happens outside or in a space with a water spigot. However, if you aren’t processing many cabbages you can clean them in the kitchen sink under running water.
To clean the cabbage you run them under flowing cold water. Do NOT wash your cabbages under hot water and don’t soak them for an extended time. You need to maintain the strength and integrity of your cabbage leaves.
While the cabbages run under cold water, you want to remove any visible dirt or debris. You don’t pull all the leaves out and scrub between them. Also, don’t scrub too hard. You need to protect the integrity of your cabbage leaves. Do pay extra attention to the stem end.
Cutting the Baekgabbaechu
Now that you have a medium-sized cabbage washed and ready to go, grab a knife and start cutting. You need to cut the cabbages into quarters. It’s important to note that you do NOTE cut the entire cabbage in half with a knife. You will need to both cut and tear the cabbage as follows:
- Starting at the stem, cut the cabbage in half to the middle.
- Spin the cabbage and starting at the stem again, cut the cabbage halves in half to the middle so that now it’s halfway cut into even quarters.
- Complete the process by grabbing the stem halves thus pulling the cabbage in half, and then pulling the halves into quarters.
In an upcoming video in this blog post, you can see how the cutting works, make sure to watch it!
Salting the Cabbages
Salting the cabbages is an incredibly important part of the kimchi-making process. If you use too little salt your cabbage will be too firm and if you use too much salt the leaves will fall apart. Additionally, too little salt can lead to food safety issues and too much salt can ruin the flavor. That said, the exact amount of salt is more of a vibe than anything. Another reason to attend as many kimjangs as possible if you want to get into kimchi making.
Type of Salt Used for Kimjang
For kimjang, it’s essential to use a specific type of salt known as “coarse sea salt” or “solar sea salt.” DO NOT use Western table salt for the best kimchi. Coarse sea salt is traditionally used in Korean kimchi-making due to its ability to facilitate the fermentation process while preserving the cabbage’s texture and flavor. The following characteristics make course sea salt perfect for kimchi:
- Coarse Texture: Coarse sea salt has larger granules compared to table salt, which makes it ideal for salting and seasoning cabbage leaves. The larger grains help draw moisture out of the cabbage effectively during the salting process.
- Mineral Content: Coarse sea salt typically contains trace minerals, which can enhance the fermentation process and contribute to the development of kimchi’s complex flavors. These minerals can include magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
- Natural Source: Korean kimchi-making traditions often emphasize the use of natural and minimally processed ingredients. Coarse sea salt is obtained through natural evaporation processes, making it a more traditional choice for kimjang.
- Preservation: It’s said that this particular salt plays a vital role in preserving the kimchi by creating an environment where beneficial lactic acid bacteria can thrive while inhibiting the growth of harmful microorganisms. We don’t know the exact science but we trust the process and always stick with course sea salt.
Salting the Cabbage Leaves
Salt the cabbage quarters generously, making sure to reach between the leaves. You need to toss a small handful between every 2-3 leaves before placing the cabbage quarter into your tub to cure. Not between EVERY leaf.
Now that we’ve walked through the process, here is a quick look at what prepping the cabbages for kimjang looks like in action.
Turning the Cabbages
Now that you salted your cabbages you need to ‘turn’ every 3 hours. What this means is that you need to take the softer cabbages on the bottom of the bucket or bowl and move them to the top.
The process of ‘turning’ the cabbage goes like this:
- Stack the salted cabbages, leaving them to rest for 3-4 hours.
- Turn the cabbages, moving the soft ones to the top.
- Let sit in a cool but not freezing area for another 3-4 hours.
- Turn the cabbages, moving the soft ones to the top.
- Keep doing this until the cabbages have shrunk to about half their original size and have a firm but also soft texture.
- Rinse the cabbages thoroughly to remove excess salt to as you prepare to add the kimchi jang to the leaves.
The length of this process depends on temperature, cabbage quality, amount of salt used, and the number of cabbages processed. If you are doing a small amount, like 6-10 cabbages, you can do this process in 12-24 hours.
Watch the following video to see how we turn the cabbages for kimjang at our house:
Next Step, Time to Make the Jang (장)
Now that you have prepared your cabbages, you need to make the dadaeri jang. I’ve also written a post about this process that includes the answers to many of my additional questions and random things I’ve learned attending differnt types of kimjang.
Since there is so much so share, I’m creating a blog post specifically for each part of preparing kimchi for kimjang.
Getting Ready for Kimjang
If you have the chance to attend a kimjang, you may also want to read this post about preparing for kimjang. For example, you don’t want to show up in fancy clothes that can’t be ruined.
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