Yeolmu Mulkimchi (Young Summer Radish Water Kimchi)

Ingredients

• Lay down a layer of young summer radish, scatter about 2 tbsp of salt over it, and repeat layering. Let it salt for 1 hour, flipping it once halfway through.
• Prepare about the same amount of red and green chili peppers as the onion. If you like it spicy, you can use Cheongyang chili peppers instead.

Steps

1. Prepare the greens

   

   Prepare 2 bunches of young summer radish (yeolmu) and 2 bunches of eolgari cabbage.

2. Trim the greens

   

   

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   Remove any yellow outer leaves from the young summer radish and cut off the roots.

   If the roots are thick or not too pungent, you can scrape them with a knife and keep them.

   Cut into bite-sized lengths.

   

   

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   Trim off the roots of the eolgari cabbage just like the radish and cut it into lengths.

   

   

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   Because they have a lot of dirt, soak them in water briefly and wash them several times while gently swishing.

3. Salt the greens

   

   When you take them out on the final rinse, salt them right away; the clinging moisture helps the salt dissolve well.

   Lay down a layer of radish, scatter about 2 tbsp of salt over it, and repeat layering.

   

   

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   Let it salt for 1 hour, flipping it once halfway through.

   

   

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   Once they are nicely softened, rinse them in water just once and drain well in a colander.

4. Slice the vegetables

   

   Prepare 2 large onions, and about the same amount of red and green chili peppers as the onion. If you like it spicy, you can use Cheongyang chili peppers instead.

   

   

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   Thinly slice the onions and thinly slice the chili peppers diagonally.

   You can also swish the peppers in water to let the seeds sink to the bottom before using them.

5. Prep the broth seasoning

   

   These are the seasonings that go into the water kimchi broth. We will blend all of them.

   There are 3 large potatoes, 7 large red chili peppers, 25 cloves of peeled garlic, 2 knobs of ginger, and 5 tbsp of salted fermented shrimp (saeujeot).

6. Make the potato paste

   

   

   

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   Roughly chop the potatoes into large chunks so they cook quickly, pour in enough bottled water, and boil them until completely tender.

   The bottled water used here is part of the 45 cups listed in the recipe.

   

   

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   Once completely cooked, transfer them to a blender and blend until smooth.

   This is your potato paste.

7. Make the kimchi broth

   

   Roughly chop the red chili peppers so they blend easily.

   

   

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   Put the garlic, salted fermented shrimp, red chili peppers, and ginger together, pour in plenty of bottled water, and blend until smooth.

   My blender is small so I blended them separately, but you can also blend the boiled potatoes and seasonings all together.

   

   Add the bottled water, pureed potatoes, and blended seasonings together; it is best to strain the blended seasoning through a sieve so the broth stays smooth without gritty bits.

   

   

   

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   Season the broth.

   Add 4 to 5 tbsp of coarse sea salt, 1/2 cup (about 7 tbsp) of green plum syrup (maesil-cheong), and 2 tbsp of sugar, then stir well to dissolve.

   Do not add all the salt at once; taste and add it gradually so it is pleasantly seasoned, not bland.

8. Combine and ferment

   

   

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   Add the salted young summer radish, cabbage, onion, and peppers into the kimchi broth and mix well.

   This batch fills about 2/3 of a 20-liter kimchi container.

   

   If you let it ferment at room temperature for about one night, tiny bubbles will rise around the edges and it will smell pleasantly sour.

   The seasoning can change slightly after fermenting, so taste the broth one last time.

   Adjust to your taste with a bit of salt or green plum syrup, keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two, and enjoy it cold.

   Finished.

Ppunwife's tips

• When you take the greens out on the final rinse, salt them right away; the clinging moisture helps the salt dissolve well.
• You can swish the sliced chili peppers in water to let the seeds sink to the bottom before using them.
• When mixing the water, potato puree, and blended seasonings, strain the seasoning puree through a sieve to keep the broth smooth and clear.
• Do not add all the salt at once; taste and add it gradually so it is pleasantly seasoned rather than bland.
• The seasoning can shift slightly after fermenting, so give the broth a final taste, adjust with salt or green plum syrup to your liking, and chill in the refrigerator for a day or two before serving cold.

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