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 gimjang — 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 on YouTube video or email me at [email protected] :) hope you enjoy my fruit kimchi recipe!

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

• Brined cabbage
  • 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
• Kimchi paste
  • 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 little knob of ginger, about 2 tsp
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup Korean red pepper flakes
• Fresh fruits & vegetables
  • 1 large Korean radish
  • 2 large carrots
  • 6 scallions
  • 1 small handful of Korean chives (optional)
  • Fruit of your choice (3 fuyu persimmons, 3 sweet plums, 1 large 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. Combine cooled anchovy kelp stock 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. Add 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, harvest 1/2 cup of seeds to add 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. 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.