Homemade Napa Cabbage Ugeoji: How to Use Outer Leaves
Homemade Napa Cabbage Ugeoji: How to Use Outer Leaves
Essential for Kimchi Season! The Perfect Guide to Making Delicious Ugeoji from Fresh Napa Cabbage Outer Leaves
Hello, this is Poomom. As the kimchi-making season begins, many of you might be ordering pre-brined cabbage or salting your own. I’ve ordered pre-brined cabbage this year because I’ve experienced muscle aches from using muscles I don’t normally use when I salt cabbage myself. However, before kimchi season officially starts, I ran out of kimchi! I wanted to eat Napa cabbage kimchi, but waiting for the kimchi-making season felt too long, so I bought a head of Napa cabbage to make at least some fresh kimchi. When you buy fresh cabbage, you’ll notice vibrant green outer leaves. These outer leaves can be a bit bitter and tough if used directly in kimchi, making them less suitable. But don’t worry! These outer leaves are perfect for making ‘ugeoji’ – dried Napa cabbage – which adds a deep, savory flavor to soups and stews. Ugeoji is an excellent ingredient to enhance the depth of flavor in brothy dishes. Today, I’ll guide you through the detailed process of making delicious ugeoji from Napa cabbage outer leaves. Follow along easily and enjoy a variety of flavorful dishes!
Ingredients- Outer leaves of Napa cabbage, 40 leaves
- Coarse salt, 1 Tbsp
- Water (for boiling and rinsing cabbage)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, carefully separate the green outer leaves from the fresh Napa cabbage. Collect the leaves that might be slightly bitter or tough for direct kimchi use.
Step 2
In a large, deep pot, bring plenty of water to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts boiling vigorously, add 1 tablespoon of coarse salt. Adding salt helps the cabbage wilt faster and makes it tender when blanched.
Step 3
When the water is boiling rapidly, add the prepared outer cabbage leaves to the pot. If you have too many leaves, you can blanch them in batches.
Step 4
Boil the cabbage leaves for about 10 minutes until they are tender. The exact boiling time may vary slightly depending on the thickness and freshness of the cabbage.
Step 5
The cabbage is ready when the thick stems are soft and bend easily when touched. Turn off the heat. Overcooking can make the cabbage mushy and affect its texture.
Step 6
Remove the blanched cabbage from the pot and rinse it thoroughly in cold water 2-3 times. This step helps remove any bitterness and results in a cleaner-tasting ugeoji.
Step 7
Using a colander or a large sieve makes rinsing and draining the cabbage much easier and more hygienic. Drain the cabbage well after rinsing.
Step 8
Once the cabbage ugeoji is well-blanched and drained, tear it into bite-sized pieces by hand. For the thicker stem parts, tear them into thinner strips; this allows the seasoning to penetrate better when cooking, making the dish more flavorful.
Step 9
Portion the torn cabbage ugeoji into manageable sizes and place them into freezer bags, airtight containers, or plastic bags for easy storage and use. This way, you can conveniently take out what you need whenever you want to cook.
Step 10
When portioning, it’s a good idea to add a little water or ensure the ugeoji is slightly moist to prevent it from drying out. Store the prepared ugeoji in the freezer and use it in various dishes like ugeoji doenjang-guk (fermented soybean paste stew) or ugeoji haejang-guk (hangover soup). It adds an amazing depth of savory flavor!
