Kimchi (pickled cabbage)

Ingredients

• 1 pound Napa cabbage (back here we call it Pechay Baguio)
• 3 carrots, peeled and  julienned
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and  julienned
• rock or coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon scallions, finely chopped
• crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of sugar
• rice vinegar
• sesame oil

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Preparation

• Separate and wash cabbage leaves. Sprinkle liberally with salt. Scoop and stir with hands.
• Place salted cabbage leaves in a large bowl, put a heavy plate on top of the leaves, cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator overnight.
• Be sure that water covers all cabbage leaves – place a plate or other heavy object on top of leaves to ensure that they stay covered with water.
• The next day, pour off water excess water and thoroughly rinse cabbage leaves. You can shake them gently in the sink to remove excess moisture.
  
• Put a handful of chilli pepper into a bowl. Add from a third as much to an equal amount of sesame seeds, and crushed garlic.
• Put a handful of chilli pepper into a bowl. Add from a third as much to an equal amount of sesame seeds, and crushed garlic.
• Add enough sesame oil to moisten everything, and approximately an equal amount of rice vinegar (enough to make a paste).
• Spread each cabbage leaf with the paste and arrange them in a bowl. Use your hands to rub seasoning evenly into all cabbage leaves.
  
• Be sure to use gloves to do this, otherwise, your hands will burn from the chili flakes.
• Transfer seasoned cabbage leaves into a large glass bottle. Be sure to use firm pressure with your hands to push down on cabbage leaves as they stack up inside the bottle.
• Transfer any liquid that accumulated during the mixing process into the bottle as well – it will become kimchi brine. Some liquid will also come out of the cabbage leaves as you press down on them as they are stacked in the bottle.
• Leave about 2 inches of room at the top of the bottle before capping it tightly with a lid. Allow bottle of kimchi to sit at room temperature for 2-3 days.

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