Not a fan of sour kimchi? Try this recipe for fresh sweet kimchi, also known as baechu gaetjori – a tasty twist on the Korean classic.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated on 18/03/2024 with added information and details.
The world is divided into two camps – those who love kimchi, and those who can’t stand kimchi. I love kimchi, but I love freshly made kimchi that is sweet and not heavily seasoned even more. I’ve only ever come across this version once, and it’s quite expensive. So I attempted to make my own, and have never looked back! My Mom hates kimchi, but she finds my version tolerable. In fact, first time she tried it she didn’t even realise it was kimchi. She just thought it’s a refreshing, slightly spicy cabbage dish.
This is can also be known as baechu geotjori, or fresh kimchi. With geotjori, the steps are the same as regular kimchi, except it is not as heavily salted as regular kimchi.
This kimchi recipe is sweeter, and not sour. It’s still salty though, but you can scale back on the salt levels pretty easily. I eat this on the side with some rice usually, so the saltiness is not an issue for me. For this recipe, I kept it simple and only used Napa cabbage. Other times I’ve added carrots, cucumbers and spring onions.
A quick though obvious disclaimer: not truly an authentic Korean recipe. I modified a couple of ingredients to fit my tastes. Purists will say you have to use Korean products, but those imported stuff is not cheap. If there’s one thing that I’ve yet to find a good replacement for, it would be Gochugaru, or red pepper powder. You can alternate with paprika, or would be a closest match, but even then you can tell the difference.
Most Gochugaru brands would have varying levels of spiciness as well, from mild to spicy. I always purchase the mild version, because I love a super bright red kimchi – which I can still eat multiple quantities of in one go. Up to you!
Anyway, if you don’t like the fermented, acquired taste of kimchi, give this one a go!
Salting the Cabbage
Give your cabbage a wash, and then chop it any way you like. Then salt generously. Coarse salt is best, I used sea salt. You can also use fine salt, just use less, as fine salt infuses a lot more. This is going to draw out as much of the liquid from the cabbage, which helps in food preservation, while infusing the cabbage with some saltiness. This is essential for the fermentation process.
If you don’t want a too-salty kimchi, then add lesser salt. Be sure to return to the bowl and toss through the cabbage to get a more even saltiness through.
Let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cabbage has softened and wilted. There should also be lots of water already pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Drain the excess water, and rinse the cabbage under water a few times to get rid of excess salt. This is important, otherwise you will end up with super salty kimchi. Do this a couple extra times if you’re making fresh kimchi.
Type of Sweeteners
My main sweetening agent would be pears. I love pears. Korean pears are said to be best, but they’re so expensive here. So I used regular pears from the fruit uncle at my local market, and I didn’t miss anything. You can also use apples. Pears or apples, you want to make sure these are sweet. No tart fruits allowed here.
Another sweetening agent I use is honey. You can also use sugar or corn syrup, but I like the healthier alternative (and taste) in honey.
Can this Fresh Sweet Kimchi be Fermented?
Yes! Salt is the main fermentation agent. I made two batches of this recipe. The fermented kimchi batch follows this recipe and adds an additional tablespoon of salt. This fermented beautifully. After mixing it in with the cabbage, I stored this in a glass jar, filled up to 3/4. Use a spoon or a flat spatula to push down the kimchi. The kimchi should be compact, and be covered in the brine. Cover with a lid, but not tightly. Loosely screw on the top.
Leave it in room temperature overnight, and best to place the jar in a bowl to catch any overflowing brine. The next day, open the jar and the kimchi would have risen slightly. Simply push back down to let brine cover the cabbage. At this stage, you can give it a taste test. If you like it, then store it in the fridge! If you like it more potent and sour, and then leave it out for longer.
I also want to note that this recipe will result in fermented kimchi as well – it just will not be as quick as there is considerably less salt than regular kimchi recipes. Storing it in the refrigerator also slows down the fermentation process considerably.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole Napa Cabbage
- 2 tbsps Salt
- 1 Pear
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Ginger
- 2 tsps Fish Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1-2 tbsps Honey
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 2 tbsps Gochugaru
Directions
- Chop up cabbages and salt generously. You can work the cabbages so the salt gets everywhere. Don’t be scared to bruise the cabbages. Let this sit for 1 to 2 hours. If you want a less salty kimchi, let it sit for just 30 minutes.
- After salting, give cabbages a few rinses under water to get rid of excess salt. Drain as much water as possible.
- Blend together chopped pears, garlic and ginger. Add some water if needed, to get a better blend.
- Pour pureed pears in a bowl. Add fish sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and gochugaru. Give that a stir. Taste it, and it should taste good.
- Pour this in with the salted cabbages and work the paste in with the salted cabbage.
- Ready to serve!
How to make Fresh Sweet Kimchi – for those who don’t like sour kimchi
4
servings1
hour0
minutesIngredients
1 whole Napa Cabbage
2 tbsps Salt
1 Pear
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Ginger
2 tsps Fish Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1-2 tbsps Honey
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
2 tbsps Gochugaru
Directions
- Chop up cabbages and salt generously. You can work the cabbages so the salt gets everywhere. Don’t be scared to bruise the cabbages. Let this sit for 1 to 2 hours. If you want a less salty kimchi, let it sit for just 30 minutes.
- After salting, give cabbages a few rinses under water to get rid of excess salt. Drain as much water as possible.
- Blend together chopped pears, garlic and ginger. Add some water if needed, to get a better blend.
- Pour pureed pears in a bowl. Add fish sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, honey and gochugaru. Give that a stir. Taste it, and it should taste good.
- Pour this in with the salted cabbages and work the paste in with the salted cabbage.
Ready to serve! Store leftover kimchi in glass jars and keep in the fridge.
Did you make this recipe?
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Hi, how long can I keep this in fridge? Will it turn sour after few days?
Hi Crystal, this can keep for up to two weeks, although please discard if you see white mold. I made this recipe such that it is not suppose to turn sour after a few days and can keep for longer in the fridge, BUT eventually it will turn sour. Ultimately all fermented items will turn sour, just that the refrigeration will significantly slow down the process. In my experience, my kimchi was still sweet at the 1-week mark, and at the end of 2 weeks it developed the signature kimchi sourness albeit not as strong. Hope this helps!
Comparing this recipe to others, I don’t see how one pear makes it very sweet.
You mention “Another sweetening agent I use is honey.” Can honey be included in this recipe?