Step 1

Cut the cabbage in half, then cut a slit through the core 2 inches above the stem, so the leaves are loosened but still attached.Rinse the halves under running water, or soak them in a basin for a few seconds until all the leaves are wet.Put the halves in a large basin and sprinkle ⅓ cup of kosher salt evenly between the leaves. Let them sit for 1½ to 2 hours, turning them over every 20 minutes.Rinse the cabbage under cold running water a couple of times to get rid of any dirt or salt. Split each half under the running water, to divide the cabbage into quarters. Cut out the remainder of the core. Drain and set aside.

Step 2

Combine radish, carrot, jujubes, chives, chestnuts, and red bell pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

Step 3

Blend pear, garlic, onion, and ginger in a food processor until creamy. Set aside.

Step 4

Mix 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of salt in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir it well until the salt is thoroughly dissolved.Put the blended seasoning mix into a cotton pouch, or wrap it a couple times in cheesecloth, and put it into the bowl of brine. Press it down with a spoon so the delicious blended flavors seep through. Squeeze it a bit and stir the brine for a while. Remove the pouch.

Step 5

Spread the vegetable fillings between each leaf of the cabbage. Fold the stuffed cabbage quarters over and put them into a container, glass jar, or Korean earthenware pot.Pour the brine over the kimchi so it’s submerged.Cover and let sit at room temperature until it starts fermenting, which should be between 1½ to 3 days depending on how warm your room is. A warmer room will ferment faster. Just keep an eye on the kimchi and taste it now and then: when the brine turns sour, it’s fermenting.Move it to the fridge, which will slow down the fermentation process. It will keep for about 1 month. Serve cold.

Step 6

echacha Toronto, Canada joined 4/20 & has 5 commentsPosted May 25th, 2020 at 10:51 pm | Log in to reply. I never try the white kimchi in my life. I made 2lb cabbage for white kimchi on Sunday. It is over 24 hours. I taste the brine did not turn any sour yet. I wish it will turn out nicely after 1 -2 days KEV Denmark joined 3/20 & has 2 commentsPosted March 19th, 2020 at 5:03 am | Log in to reply. Hi Maangchi,Making Baek-kimchi for the first time. Is it possible to just add the purée and not making it into a brine? Chi037 US joined 2/20 & has 1 commentPosted February 4th, 2020 at 1:51 pm | Log in to reply. Thank you for your lovely and delicious recipes! I tried white kimchi at a restaurant and fell in love with it but couldn’t find a good recipe. I am making your recipe today. Jujube is hard to find here so I am using dates as I read that Jujube is a Korean date. I wonder if it is okay to just add the pear-onion mixture to the brine rather than squeezing it out in the cheesecloth? Will the kimchi suffer for soaking in the pear-onion mixture?Thank you again, Maangchi! You are so cute, and you’re a very talented cook! KEV Denmark joined 3/20 & has 2 commentsPosted March 19th, 2020 at 6:46 am | Log in to reply. Oh or do you have some suggestions on how to use the brine? folkarty N.Ireland joined 7/20 & has 1 commentPosted July 22nd, 2020 at 11:55 am | Log in to reply. Please let me know how it went with the dates. There is no jujube available in my area either. Gertrude Montreal joined 9/14 & has 4 commentsPosted July 7th, 2019 at 7:36 pm | Log in to reply. Hi Maangchi-ssi!I found this when you first posted it, but I kept thinking of it as a summertime dish, and every summer would pass, and no baek-kimchi. I finally made some and it is divine! I’m not able to eat the pear or the jujube, so I replaced them with kiwi and organic dried apricot. I know the kiwi is not the same texture, but I thought the sweetness will work.Thank you, yet again, for an amazing recipe~! You make it all so doable! :-)