Fruit Kimchi

When I was young, I remember my mom feeding me fresh kimchi from her gochugaru-stained gloves as our family had our own little kimjang — a communal act of preserving the season’s best cabbage by making massive quantities of kimchi to last throughout the year. She never did write down her recipe so I set out on a mission to test my own version of this Korean staple.

And what could be more in the style of Miij than to experiment with the autumn’s best fruit? By using the juice and purée, as well as slices of the fruit in the kimchi paste, I infused each jar with a subtle yet distinct, delicious flavor.

Whether you're a seasoned chef or a kitchen novice, my kimchi recipe is easy enough for everyone to be able to make at home but more special than your average recipe! If you have any questions, leave me a comment below :) hope you enjoy my fruit kimchi recipe!

Fruit Kimchi (makes head makes one large jar, about 120 oz)

1 head napa cabbage (5-6 lbs)

10 cups of water and 1 cup course sea salt for brine solution

More course sea salt for sprinkling on thick white part of leaves, about 1/3 cup

1 cup of anchovy kelp stock (recipe below) or water

4 TBSP sweet rice flour

1/2 cup salted shrimp

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 small onion

1-inch knob of ginger

6 cloves of garlic

1 cup Korean red pepper flakes

1/2 large Korean radish

2 large carrots

6 scallions

3 fuyu persimmons, 3 plums, 1 pomegranate, or 2 large Korean pear

Anchovy kelp stock recipe (makes about 6 cups, freezes well)

6 cups water

Handful of anchovies, headed and gutted

1 onion, quartered

2-3 scallions

1 large piece of dashima or Korean dried kelp (size of your head)

Brine the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half. In a large bowl or bucket, dissolve the salt in water to make the brining solution. Dunk the cabbage halves in the solution. Then, sprinkle a little salt on the thick, white part of the cabbage leaves. Set aside to brine for at least 6 hours.

Make kimchi paste. Mix anchovy kelp stock (or water) and rice flour in a small sauce pan and whisk to incorporate. Cook gently over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool. In a food processor, purée the onion, garlic, and ginger. Add to an XL bowl and mix in cooled rice slurry. Add salted fermented shrimp, fish sauce and red pepper flakes.

Prep fresh ingredients. Cut Korean radish into matchsticks, about 2 cups. Cut scallions (and chives if using) into 2 inch pieces. Peel and slice carrot into matchsticks. Add everything to the kimchi paste.

Prep fruit. If using persimmon, cut about 1 cup into matchsticks. Peel the rest and purée in the food processor. Add a little anchovy kelp stock if needed to help blend the fruit. If your fruit is not optimal, add a little sprinkle of sugar. If using pear or plum, cut about 1 cup into matchsticks. Purée the remaining fruit in the food processor. If using pomegranate, add 1/2 cup of seeds to the kimchi paste whole and purée the remaining seeds, filter through a sieve, and collect the pomegranate juice. Add fruit elements to kimchi paste.

Put it all together. Rinse the cabbage with cold water 3 times to ensure any dirt and excess salt is removed. Drain extremely well. I like to let it drain over a colander for a few hours. After cabbage is drained, spread paste onto each cabbage leaf, wrap up tightly into a compact bundle, and store in an airtight container. Let ferment at room temperature (65 to 70 degrees F) for 24 hours, and then store in a very cold fridge. Will keep for months.