Prepare the cucumbers. Start by washing and cutting the ends off of the cucumbers. Discard the end pieces. Slice the cucumbers into rounds about 1 inch thick. Toss the cucumbers with salt and allow them to sit in a colander in the sink. (Do not rinse)
1 lb cucumbers, 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Make the kimchi paste. Add the chili, garlic, sugar, salted shrimp, ginger, and fish sauce to a food processor or a bowl. Mix everything together to form a paste.
2 tablespoons gochogaru, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ tablespoon salted shrimp, ½ teaspoon fish sauce, ½ teaspoon ginger
Add the salted cucumbers to the bowl. Add the carrots, green onion, and the apple. Toss everything together.
Add the kimchi paste and coat the cucumbers in the paste. You can use gloves for this.
Pack the kimchi cucumbers in glass jars. Top off with filtered water, make sure that the cucumbers are completely submerged. The salt from the cucumbers and the water will create a brine for fermentation.
Add a fermentation weight. Place the glass jars on a baking sheet to catch any liquid that might bubble over during the fermenting process. Weigh the cucumbers down and cover them with the airlock lids. Ferment in a cool place for 3 to 5 days.
RECIPE TIPS
Ingredient Notes
Cucumbers. Choose either English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers for this recipe.
Salt. Kosher salt or fine sea salt. Do not use iodized salt.
Carrot. The julienned carrot adds color and crunch to kimchi. You can also add in daikon radish.