Ingredients
Napa Cabbage 1 medium, firm
Daikon Radish 1 medium, unpeeled
Coarse Sea Salt 2% of combined cabbage and radish weight + 4 tbsp
Asian Pears 4 large, peeled and cored
Apple (Fuji Preferred) 1, peeled and cored
Garlic Cloves 10, peeled
Scallions 2
Ginger 1-inch piece, peeled
Filtered Water 1 liter
Gochugaru 2 tbsp
Maesil Chung (Korean Fermented Green Plum Syrup) ½ cup
Steps
- Slice cabbage into 1-inch pieces. Wash and dry the cabbage. Slice radish into 1-inch thick squares. Weigh the cabbage and radish together. Calculate 2% of the total weight of the cabbage and radish. This is the amount of coarse sea salt you will need. Toss the cabbage and radish in a large bowl with the salt and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the liquid that has been drawn out of the vegetables.
- Put the cabbage/radish in a large glass container (or glazed ceramic jar as used in Korea).
- Blend the pear, apple, garlic, scallion, ginger with the water. Strain through a sieve or chinois lined with cheesecloth to have a clear juice. Pour the juice over the cabbage/radish.
- Put the gochugaru in a cheesecloth bag or tea bag and place in the juice. Squeeze the bag slightly in the juice (with gloved hands or a spoon) and the red color of the chili will give the liquid a pink tint.
- Stir in the maesil chung and season to taste with additional salt.
- Cover your container and leave on the kitchen counter for one or two days to allow fermentation. Then store in fridge.
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