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    Home » Vegetables

    Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)

    Published 06/01/2015. Updated 01/30/2025

    Jump to Recipe

    Geotjeori is basically a kimchi that’s made to be eaten fresh without fermentation. As such, the vegetables are lightly salted, and this kimchi is quick and easy to make.

    DSC 09491 e1433218997811 - Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)

    Last month, I introduced a salad-like kimchi called geotjeori (겉절이) using baby bok choy. Geotjeori is basically a kimchi that’s made to be eaten fresh without fermentation. As such, the vegetables are lightly salted.

    Fresh kimchi goes especially well with dishes such as kalguksu (warm noodle soup) and Korean BBQ meat. Geotjeori is most commonly made with napa cabbage, baechu (배추).

    Summer napa cabbages tend to be small with thinner leaves, and it’s perfect for making baechu geotjeori. If you have a large cabbage, only use the inner tender parts. You can save tough outer leaves for baechu doenjang guk later.

    DSC 10321 e1433218871920 - Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)

    Because it’s eaten without fermentation, during which a natural sweetness develops, the addition of sugar or corn syrup (or Korean rice syrup) helps round out the flavor of geotjeori.

    In this recipe, I also used Korean plum syrup called maesil chung (매실청). You can simply omit it if you don’t have it, but it adds a natural fruity sweetness to the dish. Maesil chung is not an ingredient that I grew up with, but it has recently become a popular ingredient.

    I also added minari (water dropwort) and buchu (garlic chives) to this recipe for extra flavors. They are in season and available in Korean markets in my area. You can omit them if you can’t find them.

    Watch how to make it

    Please watch the video and subscribe. Thank you!

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC 09491 e1433218997811 300x300 - Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)

    Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)

    4.50 from 36 votes
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 small about 2.5 pounds baechu, (napa cabbage)
    • 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt less if using finer salt
    • 2 scallions
    • 2 ounces buchu garlic chives, cut into 2-inch pieces - optional
    • a few stalks minari water dropwort, cut into 2-inch pieces - optional

    Seasoning

    • 4 tablespoons gochugaru Korean red chili pepper flakes
    • 3 tablespoons myulchi aekjeot 멸치액젓 (fish sauce)
    • 1 tablespoon corn syrup or Korean rice syrup
    • 1 tablespoon maesil cheong 매실청 (Korean plum syrup) - or a bit more corn syrup
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
    • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

    Instructions

    • Separate the cabbage leaves. Cut each leaf lengthwise, and then cut crosswise once or twice into long bite sizes. Rinse in water and drain.
      DSC 0860 e1433217031160 - Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)
    • Place a layer of cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with a tablespoon of salt. Repeat with the remaining cabbage and salt. Toss well to coat evenly. Leave it for 40 to 60 minutes until softened, tossing once halfway through.
      DSC 0867 e1433217194210 - Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)
    • Roughly chop the scallions. Cut the optional minari and buchu into about 2-inch lengths. Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well with 2 tablespoons of water.
      DSC 0920 e1433217313923 - Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)
    • Rinse the cabbage twice and drain well.
      DSC 0912 e1433217452934 - Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)
    • Add the seasoning mix to the cabbage. Using a kitchen glove, toss everything by hand until the cabbage pieces are well coated with the seasoning. Add the scallion, minari, and buchu. Add a little salt or more fish sauce to taste.
      DSC 0927 e1433217854143 - Baechu Geotjeori (Fresh Kimchi)
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. AF says

      June 19, 2024 at 1:18 pm

      What’s the difference between this and your easy kimchi recipe? I see syrup being added to this but not much else. Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Shiereen says

      May 05, 2024 at 4:32 pm

      5 stars
      I have been craving this ever since I had this in a Korean restaurant in Rotterdam 3 years ago. Looked up several recipes but this is the one! Absolutely delicious. Thank you so much. This will become a regular in my household. I also love your website and the way you guide through recipes.

      Reply
    3. Schuz says

      July 23, 2021 at 4:48 am

      How long can we keep this in fridge after making?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        July 24, 2021 at 7:41 pm

        It should keep well for a week or longer, but it will become slightly watery over time as this is very lightly salted for consumption without fermentation. This type of kimchi tastes best within 2 to 3 days.

        Reply
    4. Hearts says

      March 20, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      I just made the Fresh Kimchi & its delicious! Thank you! I’ve been making a lot of your recipes & they are all fantastic.

      Just a suggestion, if you can post links to the brands that you buy it would be very helpful. Or pics of the bottles. As a non-Korean reader, once at Hmart all the bottles are written in Korean with a few products with English its very confusing. Plus suggestions to which are your favorite brands would be wonderful as I have no clue which brands are preferred.

      Thank you for all your lovely recipes!

      Reply
    5. Amy says

      March 19, 2021 at 7:06 pm

      I am allergic to seafood. Can I leave out the fish sauce? Or is there a substitute I can use instead? Thank you. Love your blog and your recipes!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        March 20, 2021 at 12:57 am

        Yes you can leave it out but have to use more salt. Korean soup soy sauce (not regular soy sauce) is a good substitute if you have it.

        Reply
    6. Andrew Leung says

      January 11, 2021 at 1:17 am

      i don’t normally post comments, but i had to for this one. the kimchi was delicious and fresh, and i won’t ever get store-bought ones again. the maesil chung really made a difference and i would recommend for anyone trying this recipe to get it. thanks!

      Reply
    7. Jamyang Choden says

      September 16, 2020 at 8:42 am

      Is it okay to use Gochujang sauce if I do not have gochugaru?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        September 20, 2020 at 11:09 am

        You can try it, but it’ll be quite different and not how this dish is usually made. Also, please know gochujang is salty and slightly sweet, so you’ll need to adjust the other ingredients.

        Reply
    8. Adriana says

      June 21, 2020 at 4:51 am

      Can’t wait to try it!
      I’m going to the Asian shop to buy all the missing ingredients tomorrow and I was wondering is it possible to ferment this mixture for fermented kimchi or should I use a complete different tecnique?
      I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but I’m a complete newbie in Korean kitchen!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 21, 2020 at 4:21 pm

        This recipe is lightly salted and seasoned for immediate consumption. If you want to make kimchi for fermentation, use my easy kimchi recipe. You can halve the recipe if you want to make less from the following recipe:
        https://www.koreanbapsang.com/mak-kimchi-simple-kimchi/

        Reply
    9. Lita says

      June 01, 2020 at 9:14 pm

      How long will this keep in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 03, 2020 at 12:28 am

        It will taste the best for the first few days, but can last for a couple of weeks.

        Reply
    10. Amy says

      July 11, 2019 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      I made this today. Such a nice refreshing snack to eat during a heat wave. Highly reccomend and I will definitely make again to share with friends. Thank you!

      Reply
    11. Scott says

      July 09, 2019 at 3:18 pm

      5 stars
      I love kimchi and have been wanting to make both fresh and fermented versions. This was my first attempt at making fresh kimchi and it was incredible. I didn’t have the optional veggies and sweeteners, so I used more green onion and small cucumbers (love the fresh cucumber kimchi from H-mart) and a little kimchi sauce. It was easy to make and got better each day. I’m making a new batch tonight… Thanks!

      Reply
    12. Nora Nero says

      June 20, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      안녕하세요, 효선 어머니 (I’m sorry if I don’t spell your name correctly). I’m one of your recipe follower from Indonesia
      About a week ago, I made geotjeori with recipe from local website in my country. I used sugar as instructed, but then found out that the sugar didn’t solve properly with the other ingredients (I still could bite the crystal and feel the sandy-taste on my tongue)
      Then I just found here in your website to use corn syrup as the sweetener. My question is: can I substitute the corn syrup with honey? Because I often read about that substitution in another Korean cooking website
      너무 많이 감사합니다

      Reply
      • Billie says

        December 03, 2019 at 10:01 pm

        5 stars
        I loved this recipe. I didn’t have plum syrup and didn’t want to use corn syrup so I just used honey and it turned out fine. We ate some fresh, but then placed the rest in a glass jar and let it sit at room temp for a day then placed in the fridge. There was slight fermentation afterwards but it was perfect and my husband and teen daughter loved it. It also was not too salty at all.

        Reply
    13. Nora Nero says

      June 13, 2019 at 4:18 am

      안녕하세요, 효선 어머니 (I’m sorry if I don’t spell your name correctly). I’m one of your recipe follower from Indonesia
      About a week ago, I made geotjeori with recipe from local website in my country. I used sugar as instructed, but then found out that the sugar didn’t solve properly with the other ingredients (I still could bite the crystal and feel the sandy-taste on my tongue)
      Then I just found here in your website to use corn syrup as the sweetener. My question is: can I substitute the corn syrup with honey? Because I often read about that substitution in another Korean cooking website
      너무 많이 감사합니다 🙏🙏

      Reply
    14. Tara Story says

      May 26, 2019 at 10:11 am

      I cannot find napa cabbage in my area. Can I use western cabbage for this recipe? If so, what changes should I make to the recipe?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 27, 2019 at 12:12 am

        Of course you can! Here’s the recipe:
        https://www.koreanbapsang.com/yangbaechu-kimchi-green-cabbage-kimchi/

        Reply
    15. Kuulei says

      January 31, 2019 at 2:32 am

      My 8 year old granddaughter loves this geotjori kimchi recipe! Thank you for posting this!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        February 01, 2019 at 10:27 pm

        Awesome! Happy to hear that!

        Reply
    16. Judy Rivas says

      June 06, 2018 at 7:02 pm

      I love fresh kimchi! Thank you for the recipe. Does this go bad after a long time? How long do u recommend eating it and what can you use the leftover fresh kimchi for?

      Reply
    17. Shellie says

      September 24, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      Is it possible to add some extra salt and let this particular recipe ferment on the counter for a day? Or should I just use a different recipe for that? Thanks! Love your recipes!

      Reply
    18. Tommy Ikeda says

      November 18, 2016 at 1:52 pm

      Awesome recipe. I cheat with a little MSG. Thank you.

      Reply
    19. Veronica says

      August 12, 2016 at 6:11 pm

      Thank you so much for this recipe. Do you have any suggestion for what to so with this kimchi after 2 weeks? Can I make kimchi pancake of stew with this kimchi? Or fried rice?

      Reply
    20. Faleea Nanda says

      June 04, 2016 at 10:05 pm

      Hello Ms. Hyosun, I really love your fresh kimchi recipe. I’ve made this and yes, this is soooo good! So crunchy and fresh and a little bit hot. What I want to ask you is where and how can I keep the left gochugaru? I bought the pack for 500 gr/pack and I just use it for this recipe and now I got confused how to keep it.

      Thank you so much

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 08, 2016 at 1:17 am

        So happy to hear it turned out soooo good for you! I keep my gochugaru in the freezer. It will keep for a long time. Cheers!

        Reply
    21. Linda says

      February 22, 2016 at 1:08 pm

      Hello, i love your recipes!
      Can i mix this mak kimchi recipe with fresh oyster? There is my favorite korean restaurant that sells very nice galbi tang in california, and it was served with oyster kimchi (taste slightly sweet, not sour). I really like to know how to make it. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        February 22, 2016 at 9:41 pm

        Yes you can. In fact, that’s what I do sometimes. Enjoy!

        Reply
    22. Jo says

      January 10, 2016 at 11:15 am

      hello, i need to know if i can add toasted sesame seeds when serving only? i totally forgot abt it. And i did not take note that these should be made in small batches…i got too excited abt it HAHAHA! and i read i can keep it for weeks?? will it turn sour? i made it becos my family prefers kimchi tat is not sour..

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 11, 2016 at 9:34 pm

        Yes, that’s fine. Sorry for the late reply. I hope you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    23. Kathryn says

      August 16, 2015 at 2:32 pm

      Hi, thanks for posting this recipe! I have been looking it for a long time after trying it at a restaurant few years ago. We also live near D.C. Do you buy the korean plum syrup? If so can you recommend a store such as one of the big chains in this area we can find it?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 16, 2015 at 2:37 pm

        Hi Kathryn – You should be able to find them at most Korean markets in the area, such as Lotte, Grand Mart, and H-Mart. Thanks!

        Reply
    24. Little Cooking Tips says

      June 08, 2015 at 1:34 pm

      Excellent recipe Hyosun! We don’t have plum syrup, but we have a delicious natural grape syrup here in Greece, called petimezi. We can’t wait to try your recipe in our next Asian-marinated turkey BBQ!:)
      Loved it!
      Panos and Mirella

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 08, 2015 at 11:13 pm

        Grape syrup sounds really good! I am sure it will work beautifully with this recipe! Thank you so much for all your support and love for my blog!

        Reply
    25. Kathryn says

      June 04, 2015 at 1:46 pm

      Hello! This recipe looks great, and I love your blog. I’ve found so many recipes here that I can’t wait to make!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 08, 2015 at 11:26 pm

        Hello Kathryn! Thank you for the love! Hope you enjoy many of my recipes.

        Reply
    26. SM says

      June 02, 2015 at 2:15 am

      Hi Hyosun, how long can this kimchi keep?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 02, 2015 at 10:05 pm

        It will keep for a couple of weeks. If you want to keep it longer, make it a little saltier.

        Reply
        • SM says

          June 03, 2015 at 12:54 am

          Thanks! Will try this out.

          Reply
    4.50 from 36 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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