Radish Kimchi Soup (Dongchimi)

The broth from this kimchi is used for Mool Naengmyun (Recipe coming soon). This kimchi is white and does *not* require rubber gloves in preparation.

Makes 4 quarts.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Pickling time: 30 minutes
Curing time: 2-3 days
2-3 weeks to mature

NECESSARY EQUIPMENT : A large glass jar to store kimchi, cheese cloth or coffee filter

2 Korean radishes (Daikon is ok, about 3 inches in diameter, 6 inches long, about 1.5 lbs)
[Use the entire radish, including the green]
2 c. sea salt
6 green onions
1/2 lb. mustard greens
2 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
2 oz. fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1 Korean ("Asian" or "Nashi" pear) unpeeled, cored and quartered
2 hot red Korean peppers (any hot asian pepper is fine)
1 green onion, sliced for garnish

1. Wash radishes in cold water and scrub clean. Leave them drenched in water. Sprinkle 1 cup of Salt evenly in a large shallow bowl, and roll each wet radish in it until it is thoroughly coated with salt. Transfer the radishes with water to a sterilized 8 qt jar and cover. *Cure for 2 to 3 days.*
2. Place green onions and the mustard greens in bowl, sprinkling with 1/2 c. of salt, and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove salted radishes from jar and set them aside. Strain the salt water in jar through sieve into 3- or 4-qt saucepan. Dissolve the remaining 1/2 c. salt into 10 c. of water and add it to saucepan. Gently boil for 10 minutes and *let cool*.
3. Place garlic and ginger in cheesecloth pouch (I used a coffee filtered and tied it shut with a green onion) in bottom of jar. Add salted radishes. Place green onions on top of radishes. Then add mustard greens, then pear, red peppers. Pour salt water into jar. Be sure that radishes are completely immersed in juices. Leave 2 inches of space at top of jar (Fermenting will cause gases to be released, leave room or there will be liquid flowing out of your fridge)
4. Close jar lid tight. Let mature at room temperature for 2- 3 weeks (or just put them in fridge to mature). Kimchi soup will stay fresh for several months. Great with a bowl of hot rice for a light dinner.

To serve, slice desired amount of radishes, place in bowl, and ladle out some juice from jar. Taste, then dilute juice with chilled water (a ratio of about 1 c. of original juice to 3 c. water). Add sugar to taste. Let sit for *30* minutes to allow flavor to blend well. Garnish with green onions.

I personally often skip the 30 minutes of sitting time, since I don't drink the juice unless it's summer. Reserve the juice, however, for some tasty mool naeng myun (cold noodle soup).

I loosely followed Hepinstall's recipe in _Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen_