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🌶 Small Batch Kimchi Recipe | Authentic Korean Kimchi at Home 🥬 김치 만들기 초보 가이드

  • Writer: Helen ModernPepper
    Helen ModernPepper
  • Nov 26, 2019
  • 7 min read

Updated: Mar 24



🌶Easy Homemade Kimchi Recipe (Small Batch) — Step-by-Step Tutorial

🥬How to Make Kimchi at Home | Simple Small Batch Kimchi Guide

🌶Small Batch Kimchi Recipe (No Fail, Easy Instructions)


I am SO EXCITED to share this Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Baechu Kimchi 배추김치) recipe with you! 😊

Kimchi is something I truly cannot live without… and I know I’m not alone in saying that.

This recipe is designed as a small batch kimchi, so you can make authentic kimchi at home without feeling overwhelmed by making a huge amount of kimchi all at once. Whether you are a beginner or experienced cook, this is a step-by-step, easy-to-follow guide in English, taught from my perspective as a Korean home cook.


My goal is simple:

✔ Give you confidence in making kimchi

✔ Help you make delicious, authentic kimchi at home


Many viewers say this feels like a “kimchi masterclass” — and that their homemade kimchi finally tastes like the authentic kimchi they’ve had before.


What is kimchi?

Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish, most commonly made with napa cabbage, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce. It is known for its bold flavor, probiotics, and health benefits.


How do you make kimchi at home?

To make kimchi:

  1. Salt-brine napa cabbage

  2. Make kimchi paste

  3. Mix vegetables with paste

  4. Pack into container

  5. Ferment at room temperature, then refrigerate


How long does kimchi take to ferment?

Kimchi begins fermenting within 12–24 hours and is typically ready to eat in 3–7 days, depending on temperature and taste preference.


👉 Koreans enjoy kimchi in many ways, and there are 200+ types of kimchi depending on region, season, and family traditions.



⏱ Video Chapters 타임스탬프

00:00 Intro 인사말

02:30 Shopping Tips 재료 고르는 법

03:43 Cutting Napa Cabbage 배추 손질

04:50 Salting & Brining 절이기

11:13 Ingredients 재료 소개

18:00 Kimchi Paste 양념 만들기

24:30 Storage & Fermentation 보관 & 발효

25:10 Fresh Kimchi (Geotjeori) 겉절이

25:50 Bonus: Oysters & Pork Belly For Kimchi Stew 굴 & 삼겹살 김장김치 찌개⬇️

26:55 Mukbang 먹방


🥓 BONUS: Pork Belly Kimchi Stew Prep 김장김치 찌개

Ferment pork belly with kimchi for 2 weeks for incredible flavor!


🎓 Kimchi Masterclass Q&A (Advanced Tips)


🥬 About This Kimchi Recipe

This small batch kimchi recipe includes:

✔ Whole/Quartered Kimchi (통배추김치 / 포기김치)

✔ Sliced Kimchi (막김치)

✔ Fresh Kimchi (Geotjeori 겉절이 — instant kimchi salad)

👉 Napa cabbage kimchi = Baechu Kimchi (배추김치)


You’ll also learn:

  • Proper salt-brining techniques

  • How to make kimchi paste from scratch

  • Storage & fermentation methods (the key to delicious kimchi!)

  • What ingredients are NOT used in authentic kimchi


🥬 Ingredients 재료

(This recipe is for up to 6 lbs napa cabbage — adjust as needed)

Napa Cabbage 배추

  • 6 lbs (2.7 kg)

Starch Gravy 풀 (Pul)

  • 1/4 cup flour 밀가루 (or sweet rice flour 찹쌀가루 / potato)

  • 2 cups water 물

Kimchi Paste 김치 양념장

  • 1.5 cups Korean red pepper flakes 고춧가루

  • 1/3 cup beef bone broth 사골육수 (or dashima broth 다시마 육수 / water)

  • 1/4 cup fish sauce 멸치액젓

  • 1 tbsp plum extract 매실청 (or honey 꿀)

  • 1 tbsp salted shrimp 새우젓

Optional 선택 재료:

  • Sweetener (monk fruit, honey, or brown sugar)

Salt-Brining 소금 절임

  • 1/2 cup coarse sea salt 굵은 소금 (fast method)

  • Additional salt for slower method


🥬 Must-Have Vegetables 필수 채소

  • 4 - 5 Scallions/Green Onions/파 (1 to 1.5" in length) If you are not adding the up-grade vegetables listed below, double the number of scallions

  • 6 - 8 Garlic Cloves/마늘

  • Fresh Ginger (less than thumb size 엄지손가락 크기)

  • 2.5 - 3" section of Korean radish (Mu 무) cut into sticks *Substitution: 6 - 8 Round pink/red radishes (IMPORTANT — do not skip!)

  • 1 Small Carrot 당근

  • 1/4 Medium Size Onion 양파

  • 1/4 Korean Pear 배 *Substitution: Ripe pear or apple

👉 Radish is just as important as napa cabbage for authentic flavor.


⭐️ Optional Up-Grade Vegetables

  • 4 to 6 Garlic Chives 부추

  • 3 to 4 YeolMu/열무 (Korean leafy radish leaves) *Substitution: leafy greens of the round pink/red radishes

  • 2 Slices Fresh Squid 오징어 and/or

  • 6 to 8 Fresh Oysters 굴


🥬 Fresh Kimchi (Geotjeori 겉절이)

  • 1/2 Cup 컵 Kimchi Paste 김치 양념장

  • 1/2 Tablespoon 큰술 Fish Sauce

  • 1/2 Teaspoon 작은술 Honey or Plum Extract Syrup


🥓 BONUS: Ferment pork belly with kimchi for 2 weeks for incredible flavor!

삼겹살을 김장 김치와 함께 2주간 숙성하기

1 lb Raw Pork Belly Slab 삼겹살

1 Tablespoon 큰술 Coarse Salt 굵은 소금

1 Cup 컵 Kimchi Paste 김치 양념장

2 Quarters of Napa Cabbage kimchi OR 5 - 6 cups of sliced kimchi 포기김치 2포기 또는 막김치 5~6컵


🛍 Shop Kimchi ingredients & containers: https://amzn.to/409DCH0


🦐Homemade Salt Fermented Shrimp For Homemade Kimchi 새우젓 만들기


🌱Vegan Kimchi + Vegan Fish Sauce Recipe 비건 김치


🇰🇷 Kimchi Traditions & Variations

Kimchi varies greatly depending on:

  • Region (coastal vs inland)

  • Season (summer kimchi is lighter and more watery)

  • Family traditions

Some families:

  • Use only natural ingredients

  • Keep recipes simple (ChoSun-style kimchi)

  • Use premium or farm-sourced ingredients

  • Adjust sweetness, saltiness, and spice

👉 There is no single “correct” kimchi — but there are traditional guidelines.


⚠️ Common Kimchi Mistakes

These are NOT used in authentic traditional kimchi:

  • Gochujang (고추장)

  • Soybean paste / miso

  • Vinegar

  • Mirin

  • Oyster sauce

❌ Also avoid:

  • Paprika

  • Cayenne

  • Non-Korean chili flakes

  • Fine chili powder


🧊 Storage & Fermentation Tips

  • Let kimchi sit at room temperature 10–12 hours, then refrigerate

  • Fermentation continues slowly in the fridge

  • Taste changes weekly — from fresh → tangy → deeply fermented

👉 My favorite: 2–3 weeks fermented (balanced, juicy, flavorful)

💡 Kimchi does not spoil easily — it continues to ferment and can be used for cooking later (fried rice, stew, dumplings).


🇰🇷 한국어 안내

이 레시피는 많은 양이 아닌, 집에서 부담 없이 만들 수 있는 소량 김치 레시피입니다.한국인인 제가 영어로 자세하게 설명해 드리기 때문에 초보자도 쉽게 따라 하실 수 있습니다.

이 레시피로 많은 분들이“처음으로 김치를 성공했다”,“한국에서 먹던 김치 맛이 난다”고 말씀해주셨어요.

집에서도 맛있는 정통 김치를 꼭 만들어 보세요!


💛 Let’s Connect

📸 Share your kimchi! Tag @ModernPepper💬 Leave a comment or question — I’d love to hear from you



📲 FOLLOW


🌿For My GreenThumb Friends

Here are the seeds to grow your own vegetables for kimchi

(Click on the item to view)

Korean Radish/Mu/무  (you can also use the leafy greens as YeolMu)

🌶Drying & Processing Red Peppers:

Once the green peppers turn bright red on the plant, harvest them. Lay the red peppers under full sunlight, but with some breeze, preferably late mid to late afternoon. (Don't leave them out under scorching sunlight. Under extreme heat/sun, as it will "cook" and damage the peppers.) Every other hour, turn over the peppers. Once the sun goes away, bring the pepper indoors, and leave them in a cool part of the kitchen, unwrapped. And repeat the sun drying process, until the peppers are fully sun-dried. This will take days to complete, depending on sun exposure. Then split open the dried pepper and remove all the seeds. Using a food processor, pulse-blend to coarse grind. Do not over blend as the heat of the blades can "burn/cook" the peppers. Double/triple wrap the coarse ground pepper, place in an airtight container, and store in the freezer to preserve its freshness.


🥬Korean Red Pepper Flakes/GoChuGaRu/고춧가루 Shopping & Storage Tips

  • To make kimchi, only coarse-grind GoChuGaru is recommended.

  • If your budget allows, my recommendation is to buy Made In Korea GoChuGaRu. It does cost more than those manufactured in other countries. Personally, I justify spending extra on Made In Korea GoChuGaRu since I am saving so much $$$ when I make my own Kimchi. Store-bought kimchi is delicious, too, but costly when compared to the cost of making homemade kimchi. Also, many families go above and beyond to buy directly from pepper farmers from Korea.

  • Store any unused GoChuGaRu in the freezer to preserve its freshness (double/triple bag it or store it in an airtight container).

  • If you can't find Korean red pepper flakes where you live, go to your local spice purveyor, show them the red pepper flakes from this video, and the link below. Hopefully, they can find you a similar match (with NO seeds and must be a coarse grind). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_chili_pepper


Complete Guide To Essential Korean Seasonings


❓Kimchi FAQ

Can beginners make kimchi?

Yes, this small batch recipe is beginner-friendly.

Why is my kimchi not fermenting?

Temperature, salt levels, and time affect fermentation.

Can I make kimchi without fish sauce?

Yes, use vegan substitutes like seaweed-based broth.

How long does kimchi last?

Kimchi can last months or even years when refrigerated.


💡 Final Note

This is THE small batch authentic kimchi guide — designed to help you confidently make delicious, traditional kimchi at home without overwhelm.






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