Spicy Hot Pickled Cabbage
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds of napa cabbage
- a good deal of garlic
- (powdered garlic may be used)
- powdered chili peppers (available in Oriental markets)
- ginger (fresh preferred but powdered may be used)
- 1 cup of kosher salt
Instructions
DAY 1: Cut up cabbage into pieces roughly 1 - 2 inches long and 1 - 2 inches wide. Layer in a crock with 1 cup of salt. Cover with cold water. Weight down with a dish that has had a heavy object placed on it. Mix with hand or wooden spoon 2 times in a 24 hour period. DAY 2: Pour out salted water and wash cabbage by refilling with cold water and draining several times. Layer half the cabbage with a mixture to be described in a moment. Then use the rest of the cabbage and the remainder of the mixture. Cut up 2 bunches of scallions in 1 inch pieces and add to the cabbage mixture. The fermenting mixture: 10 thin slices fresh ginger, minced or 2 tablespoons powdered 3 entire heads chopped garlic or 8 tablespoons powdered garlic 6 tablespoons of powdered chili peppers Place these ingredients in a 1 quart jar and fill half way with water. Shake to mix. DAYS 3-5: Mix well with hand or spoon. It will get very smelly. The Koreans often put this mixture in the ground but if you have a back porch, that's OK too. Putting it outside is no problem since animals are too smart to come near it! Day 6: Put in glass jars and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. DON'T SHAKE THE JARS. DON'T PUT THE CAP ON TOO TIGHTLY. Eat cold. This will keep for several months. If too spicy use less powdered chili peppers next time around. If not spicy enough, use more chili peppers next time around. This stuff really smells.