If you want the best flavor, make the seasoning the day before and let it mature in the fridge overnight. But this is optional.

Make Vegan Broth

This vegan broth replaces salted fermented shrimp or anchovy fish sauce, making the dish vegan. Start with this step so the broth and sweet rice flour mixture can cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Place Kelp, apple, pear, onion and shiitake mushroom with cold water in a small pot and boil with lid on. Once it comes to boil, reduce heat to low-medium so it boils gently. For shiitake mushroom, you can use fresh or dried but dried ones have more umami taste. If using dried, soak in water for 4-8 hours or until soft before using.
• Remove kelp after 10 minutes from the time the water begins to boil.
• Continue boiling on low medium heat with a lid on for an additional 20 minutes after removing the kelp OR until the broth has reduced by half.
• Strain and return the broth to the pot. If the broth has reduced too much, just add some water to yield the amount needed.

Make Sweet Flour Paste

Sweet rice flour paste is used for fermentation, as it serves as an excellent carbon source for Lactobacillus bacteria. Regular flour can also be used.
• In a small bowl, mix sweet rice flour and cold water.
• Bring vegan broth to boil in a small pot.
• As soon as the broth boils, lower the heat to low-medium. Then, add the sweet rice flour water mix into the boiling water while continuously stirring.
• Continue to cook for a few more minutes while stirring until it becomes slightly thickened.
• Take it off the heat and let it cool until it becomes lukewarm. If you wanna cool it more quickly, transfer to a new bowl.

Prepare & Blanch Collard Green

The collard green leaves are thin, so they do not need to be brined like napa cabbage or radishes. The blanching technique is used when Koreans make kimchi with leaves such perilla leaves.
• Clean collard green thoroughly by rubbing with a brush under running water. Inspect to see if there are any insect eggs which needs to be removed.
• Stack them neatly.
• Boil water in a pot.
• When it starts to boil, add salt. Salt helps to keep the color of the leaves green.
• Add the stacked collard green together and blanch for about 5 minutes.
The blanching time may vary depending on the amount of collard green or water. Blanch until it becomes soft but if you blanch too long, it will become too soft and torn.
• Immediately immerse them in cold water (ice water preferred) without scattering them too much. If the water becomes warm right way, run under cold water so they are cooled down completely.
• Squeeze out the excess water.

Make Seasoning

• Add coarse gochugaru into the (cooled) sweet rice flour paste and mix well.
OPTIONAL: After adding gochugaru, leave it for about 30 minutes to get a more vibrant color.
Do not add gochugaru to hot flour paste as it will produce bitter flavor.
• Mix the seasoning mix with sugar, garlic, ginger, sea salt and green onion.
• Taste and use adjust saltiness. When you taste it, you should feel "It's a bit saltier than normal food seasoning" If the seasoning is too thick or too salty, you can add a little water.
• OPTIONAL: Cover the seasoning and let it mature for 2-3 hours at room temperature. You can store this seasoning in the fridge overnight to bring out even deeper flavor but is optional.
You can make the seasoning bulk and freeze for future use. If freezing, don't add green onions but add them when using. To thaw, leave in the fridge overnight.

 Apply Seasoning

If you don't have time, you can just mix the seasoning with blanched leaves without flattening and layering leaves one by one.
• Place a leaf on a plate or tray and add seasoning. Then layer another leaf on top and add seasoning. Repeat this for all the leaves.
• Since the stem side is thicker, it's best to rotate every 2-3 leaves so you end up with a flat stack instead of the stem side becoming much higher. But this is optional.
• Place in a container with a good seal. You can use any glass container or high quality plastic container, but for best results, use our Crazy Korean Cooking Kimchi Container which induces probiotic fermentation and keeps the kimchi at an optimal condition. It also keeps the smell in very well.

Fermenting & Storage

• You can enjoy it right away especially if you matured seasoning as per the optional step. To ferment, store in the fridge for a week or longer.
• Collard green kimchi will last for months in the fridge if it doesn't become moldy. But, for best taste, eat within a month or so.