Easy Refreshing Yeolmu Mulkimchi (Young Summer Radish Water Kimchi)

Ingredients

• I did not have green chili peppers so I left them out, but you can add them as well.
• If the roots are thick, you can scrape them clean and use them.
• Turn them over once or twice while salting, and adjust the time: about 1 hour for tender ones and within 1 hour 30 minutes for thicker ones.

Steps

1. Prepare the ingredients

   

   

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   Here are 2 bunches of young summer radish and 2 bunches of eolgari cabbage.

   For the garnish vegetables to go with the radish and cabbage, prepare 3 medium-sized onions and 8 red chili peppers.

   I did not have green chili peppers so I left them out, but you can add them as well.

   

   Thinly slice the onions and slice the red chili peppers diagonally into thin pieces.

2. Trim the young summer radish and eolgari cabbage

   

   

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   The young summer radish was tender with thin roots, so I cut the roots off.

   If the roots are thick, you can scrape them clean and use them.

   Cut into lengths of around 4 cm.

   

   

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   Trim off the root ends of the eolgari cabbage as well, and cut into the same lengths as the young summer radish.

3. Wash and salt the radish and cabbage

   

   Place the young summer radish and eolgari cabbage together, submerge them fully in water, and let them sit for a moment so any dirt or debris softens and comes off easily.

   Wash them gently several times by swishing them around until no more sand is visible at the bottom.

   

   

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   Lay the washed radish and cabbage in a large basin one layer at a time, sprinkling the coarse sea salt over each layer by scattering it by hand.

   Salting them right after washing while they are still wet helps the salt dissolve quickly and cuts down on the salting time.

   Turn them over once or twice in between, adjusting the time to within 1 hour for tender ones and 1 hour 30 minutes for thicker ones.

4. Make the kimchi broth

   

   These are the seasoning ingredients for the kimchi broth.

   1 1/2 bowls of cold cooked rice (about 2 cups), peeled garlic, red chili peppers, ginger, and salted fermented shrimp.

   

   

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   Roughly chop only the red chili peppers so they blend easily, place everything into a blender with about 7 cups of bottled water, blend finely, and set aside briefly.

   

   

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   Pour 33 cups of bottled water into a kimchi container and add the blended seasoning mixture.

   Including the 33 cups of bottled water plus the 7 cups added while blending, the total bottled water used is 40 cups.

   Strain out any pepper bits that did not blend finely through a sieve, then blend them once more or discard them.

   Even if it takes a little extra effort, straining out the residue like this makes the broth clean and smooth to drink without catching in your throat.

   

   

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   Now season the broth.

   Add 4 tbsp of salt to the broth and pour in 1/2 cup of green plum syrup.

   Stir well and taste...

   

   To make up for the sweetness that the green plum syrup lacked, I added 2 tbsp of sugar, and balanced the seasoning by adding extra salt.

   Since the salted greens, onions, and chili peppers will be added to this broth, making sure it is properly seasoned without tasting bland will yield the perfect flavor later on.

5. Finish the water kimchi

   

   

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   Once the greens are nicely softened and salted, rinse them once in water and drain the excess water thoroughly.

   If you do not drain the water well before adding them, the kimchi broth will become very diluted.

   

   Add all the ingredients and stir gently, and the water kimchi is finished.

   Let it ferment at room temperature overnight or until it reaches your desired tanginess, then transfer it to the refrigerator.

   

   This is the kimchi opened today after fermenting overnight.

   The broth has a nice color and the seasoning is spot on.

   If it needs more seasoning, adjust it at this point; if it tastes too salty, dilute it with bottled water before putting it in the refrigerator.

   It is slightly less tangy than I would like, but since the weather is said to be very hot, I plan to put it in the refrigerator and let it ripen as we eat it.

Ppunwife's tips

• Salting the greens right after washing while they are still wet helps the salt dissolve quickly and cuts down on the salting time.
• Strain out any pepper bits that did not blend finely through a sieve and either blend them once more or discard them, so the broth drinks smoothly without catching in your throat.
• If you do not drain the excess water well from the salted greens before adding them, the kimchi broth will become very diluted.
• If it needs more seasoning after fermenting, adjust it at that point; if it tastes too salty, dilute it with bottled water before placing it in the refrigerator.

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