Life Talk

First kimjang without my mother-in-law. How do you all handle the salting?

Every year my mother-in-law leads the kimjang and I mostly wash cabbage and carry tubs. This November she says her knees are too bad, so it is my turn. We grow our own napa cabbage on the farm, so the cabbage is not a problem. The problem is that I have never done the salting stage by myself.

She salts by feel. When I ask how long, she says 'until it bends like this' and shows me with her hand. I respect it, but I would like something more concrete before I ruin fifty heads of cabbage.

For people who make kimchi or any big batch pickle at home: do you salt overnight, or a shorter time with more salt? And how do you know when to stop? I am also curious if other countries have a similar 'one big weekend of preserving' tradition in autumn.