Diana's Favorite Kimchi Recipe

Recipe Adapted from Lynnet’s Simple Kimchee

A Traditional Ferment We’ve Loved Since 2016

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There’s something deeply grounding about making your own ferments. This kimchi recipe has been part of our extended kitchen circle since 2016 — first made at Chad’s, refined over the years, and lovingly adapted (in 2022, Emma added ½ teaspoon of cayenne for a little heat).

It’s simple. It’s tasty. And it’s rooted in the same ancestral preparation methods we explore in our Fermented Foods: Ancestral Preparation for Modern Digestion blog post.

If you haven’t read that yet, it is part of our Salt of the Earth series and it offers helpful background on why fermentation matters and how it supports digestive balance through traditional food preparation.

Now, let’s make kimchi.

Why Kimchi?

Kimchi (also spelled kimchee) is a traditional Korean lacto-fermented vegetable dish. It relies on salt, time, and naturally occurring bacteria to transform simple vegetables into something complex, tangy, and deeply flavorful.

When fermented properly:

• Salt creates an environment that favors beneficial bacteria

• Natural sugars are converted into lactic acid

• Flavor deepens and develops over time

• The vegetables soften while retaining structure

It’s a living food — one that evolves with time.

Diana's Favorite Kimchi Recipe

Yield: Approximately ½ gallon

Ferment Time: 5–9 days

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb Napa cabbage

• 1 lb daikon radish

• 3 Tbsp sea salt (non-iodized; Celtic salt works beautifully)

• 1 ½ Tbsp garlic, peeled and sliced

• 6 scallions, trimmed and sliced (or ½ cup trimmed sliced leek)

• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

• 1 Tbsp Chile powder (medium-hot)

• 1 tsp sugar

• Optional 1/2 tsp Cayenne powder

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Vegetables

Wash cabbage and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the core and chop into approximately 1½-inch squares.

Peel the daikon and slice into ¼-inch rounds.

Step 2: Salt Brine Soak (8–12 Hours)

In a large non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic), mix:

• 6 cups water

• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp sea salt

Add cabbage and radish, pressing them into the brine. Let stand 8–12 hours, dunking occasionally to keep submerged.

This step draws out excess moisture and begins the transformation process.

Step 3: Mix the Spice Base

In a separate bowl, combine:

• Garlic

• Scallions or leek

• Ginger

• Chile powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

Remove vegetables from brine (reserve the brine). Add them to the spice mixture and toss thoroughly until evenly coated.

Step 4: Pack the Jar

Pack vegetables tightly into a clean half-gallon glass jar. Press down firmly to remove air pockets.

Pour in any liquid released from the vegetables.

Fill the jar to the neck with reserved brine so everything is fully submerged.

Step 5: Ferment

Place lid on jar and screw down gently — not tightly.

Set the jar on a plate or pie dish (to catch overflow) and store in a dark corner of your kitchen.

Ferment 5–9 days depending on room temperature.

At day 5, begin tasting with a clean spoon. When it reaches your preferred level of tang, tighten lid and refrigerate.

Kimchi is ready to eat immediately and will keep for several months refrigerated.

How to Enjoy Kimchi

Kimchee is bold, so a small amount goes a long way.

Try it:

• On top of scrambled eggs

• Folded into a grain-free bowl with roasted vegetables

• As a side with wild-caught fish

• Mixed into soups after cooking

• Paired with Diana’s Sprouted nuts and savory yogurt bowls

It adds brightness, complexity, and depth to simple meals.

A Note on Salt

Use a non-iodized, unrefined salt when fermenting. Mineral-rich salts (like my favorite - Celtic salt!) are free from anti-caking agents and support a clean fermentation environment.

You can read more about why we value traditional salt and fermentation methods in our Fermented Foods blog mentioned above.

A Note of Encouragement

Fermentation is not complicated. It requires:

Salt.

Time.

Patience.

Our ancestors relied on these simple principles long before refrigeration. Making kimchi at home reconnects you to that lineage — and fills your kitchen with life in the process.

And remember — nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated to be powerful.

If you make this recipe, we’d love to hear how it turns out!