Vegetable-and-Fruit-Water Kimchi (Nabak-kimchi)

Essentially sliced vegetables and fruits in a pinkish water, this is a very mild kimchi and incredibly refreshing. I like to make it in the summer and serve it as a cold soup, along with rice. Nabak-kimchi also pairs well with heartier dishes like rice cakes, bulgogi, pancakes, and substantial noodle dishes. The light, tangy broth and crisp fruits and vegetables offset the heaviness of those foods. You can eat this kimchi as soon as you make it, but I prefer it fermented for a bit.

Makes 9 to 10 pounds

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium Napa cabbage (about 3 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound Korean radish (mu) or daikon, peeled
• 1 small English cucumber, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds (about 1½ cups)
• ½ cup thinly sliced onion
• 2 green Korean chili peppers (cheong-gochu), stemmed and chopped
• 1 red Korean chili pepper (hong-gochu), stemmed and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced peeled ginger
• 5 scallions, cut into 1½-inch lengths
• 1 Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious, or other sweet apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-x-1-x-¼-inch slices
• 1 Asian pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-x-1-x-¼-inch slices
• 10 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and then trim the stem ends. Cut each quarter crosswise into 1½-inch slices. Put the cabbage into a large bowl, add 3 cups water, and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons salt. Mix well by hand to dissolve the salt and make sure each piece of cabbage is salted evenly. Let stand for 30 minutes, then toss the cabbage well with your hands and let stand for another 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the radish into 1-x-1-x-¼-inch pieces. Put in a bowl, mix with 1 teaspoon salt, and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Rinse the salted cabbage under cold running water to remove excess salt. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
4. Add the radish, along with its salty liquid, to the bowl with the cabbage. Add the cucumber, onion, chili peppers, garlic, ginger, scallions, apple, and pear and mix everything together with your hands.
5. Combine the 10 cups water and ¼ cup salt in another large bowl and stir well to dissolve the salt.
6. Tie the pepper flakes up in a piece of cheesecloth. Immerse the cheesecloth pouch in the water and squeeze the pouch several times, until the water turns pink. Remove and discard the pouch.
7. Pour the brine over the vegetables and fruits. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Transfer to glass jars or other airtight containers.
8. Serve some of the kimchi immediately, or cover it all and let stand at room temperature until fermented and a little bit sour, 1 to 2 days.
9. Once the kimchi is fermented, refrigerate for up to 1 month. (You can keep the kimchi longer than this, but it will become very sour and the fruits and vegetables may become soggy.)