Directions

1. Quarter the head of napa cabbage through the core.
2. Spread a generous amount of pickling salt between the leaves of each cabbage quarter.
3. Place the salted cabbage quarters in a large bowl and top with a plate. Put something heavy on the plate (like a few cans from the pantry) to weigh it down.
4. Let the cabbage sit for at least 30 minutes. Remove the quarters from the bowl, reserving the brine, and spread the kimchi paste in between all of the layers.
5. Pack the cabbage into mason jars or a fermentation crock. Add residual cabbage brine until the cabbage is totally covered. If there’s not enough, make up some 4% salt brine to fill. Weigh down to keep it submerged if necessary.
6. Let ferment at room temperature until it reaches your desired level of sourness, generally a few days. If you use a mason jar, burp it at least once a day.