2 Heads Chinese cabbage -OR- white cabbage 1 c Salt 1 lb Daikon 6 Green (spring) onions 4 Garlic cloves 1 Piece fresh gingerroot (1") 1 Celery stalk 1 Hard, semi-ripe pear 4 tb Ground red pepper (cayenne) 1 tb Granulated sugar 1. Remove (do not discard) the outer leaves from the cabbage. Quarter the cabbage and place together with the outside leaves in a large bowl. Sprinkle on the salt. Let stand 3 hours, turning occasionally. 2. Peel the daikon and cut into long thin strips. Cut the onions into 1." strips and then shred lengthwise into slivers. Mix the daikon and onion strips together in another bowl and let sit while the cabbage and salt mixture is sitting. 3. Peel and mince garlic and gingerroot. Cut celery into 1" lengths and shred lengthwise. Peel, core, and slice the pear and then cut into long strips. Mix these ingredients together with the cayenne and granulated sugar and combine into the daikon and onion mixture. 4. The cabbage will have produced a brine after sitting. Remove the outer leaves from the brine and set aside. Take a quarter of the cabbage head, rinse it under running water then pack the daikon and onion mixture between the leaves. Set it in the bottom of a crock or other container. Repeat this procedure with the remaining three quarters. Any remaining mixture should be layered over the cabbage. Press down. 5. Place the outer leaves in a layer on top of the cabbage and cover the crock. Set a small weight on top of the cover and let sit for 3 days. The longer it sits the stronger it gets! It can be stored for a month prior to opening. Keep it in a cool (60 degree) place. After removing the Kim Chi from the crock it can be stored in glass jars and used as needed. This is a strong recipe and if it is still not hot enough, diced red peppers with seeds can be added, to the daikon and onion mixture, but do so at your own risk!
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