February 3, 2020

This recipe is a refreshing kimchi that calls for Korean radish and other sweet fruits. It’s quite simple to make and you can alter it to your liking. Even kids can do it! Just have fun!

What is water kimchi/Mul kimchi?

There are many types of water/mul kimchi in Korea. The brine doesn’t change too much, however, the chopped ingredients added are all different and unique in it’s own ways. So the flavor is very much controlled by what type of vegetable or fruits you add to the water kimchi. Some greens may create a bitter/sour sensation, some fruits may give a sweet & tangy flavor and some veggies like radishes could be crunchy and refreshing. Water kimchi is is easy to put together even for a beginner cooks. This recipe is a blend of two type of Korean Kimchi: Dongchimi and Nabak kimchi.

Kids can cook!

Growing up, my kids loved to eat Korean apples and pears. However, they had zero interest in eating kimchi. To make kimchi more appealing to them, I made each child play a role in creating this homemade kimchi; whether it was chopping, slicing, mixing, measuring etc.. Yes, it was more work and took longer to make, but they all had a great time. They didn’t like the waiting period though. So when the jar opening day finally came, my kids’ anticipation was bubbling up, like waiting to open a new bottle of champagne! LOL. Everyone had a good time and we all enjoyed eating our refreshing radish & fruit kimchi together…

what goes into water kimchi

This recipe calls for Korean radish, onion, carrots, fuji apple, asian pear, garlic, ginger and scallion. (I didn’t have fuji apple so I used honey crisp apple that day) It’s quite simple and you can alter it to your liking. See Optional ingredient list below. You can slice them or chop them to your liking too. Just have fun! I recommend leaving the peels on the fruits and the onion, so make sure you wash them extra clean!

Optional Ingredients:

Korean green or red peppers
Regular peppers, any color
cucumbers
red onion

How do you make the brine?

Once the chopping phase is completed, it is time to make the brine. The brine should taste little salty and sweet at the same time. You can adjust the sugar level to your liking. A helpful reminder, the brine’s flavor will change after the fermentation. It will be little sour, salty and sweet depending on what type of fruits and vegetables were used.

how do i store water kimchi?

You can either store kimchi in a plastic container that’s made for kimchi or glass jars as seen above. Make sure the lid is secured tightly and you leave some room on top of the container for fermentation to prevent overflowing.

when is kimchi ready?

The picture on the left was taken 2 days after being out in room temperature. After 2 days, I stored it in the refrigerator. The right side picture was taken 4 days after being in the fridge, so the kimchi is 6 days old here. Do you see the difference in the water color? It’s little bit cloudy than before. Also the vegetables and fruits are definitely floating and crowding towards the top of the container? It is ready for consumption!! Yeah!!

How do you eat water kimchi?

You can enjoy water kimchi by itself, like you would as a side dish or a salad. It can also be used as a soup base and topping for noodles as seen in my Korean Neang Guksu recipe. Korean Neang Guksu recipe, please click here. This cold water kimchi pairs delightfully with somyeon noodles (the white thin noodles) as see on the photo above.

Unlike Napa cabbage kimchi, this fruit kimchi has a limited fridge life. I suggest after fermentation, consuming the fruit kimchi within 3 weeks.

Last but not least, this water kimchi brings a smile to my face whenever I make it, because it was inspired by my kids. Do you have a dish that brings a smile to your face when you make it at home?

did you enjoy this recipe?

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