I cut my fermentation eyeteeth on fermenting napa cabbage, so I am particularly proud of producing these pickles each winter. Initially I used a food-grade plastic pickling barrel, but after switching over to a wooden barrel, I have never looked back. There is something incredibly empowering about slapping the cabbage wedges back into the barrel if you decide to rotate the bottom cabbage to the top. I follow Katchan’s method on this with a little advice from other sources as well. (Katchan is Tadaaki’s aunt and is often at our house.) This is the first Japanese preserved vegetable that I would suggest tackling because even if the souring does not happen, the salty cabbage will be delicious. And you will learn an invaluable lesson in the process. These pickles should be made in the winter when napa cabbage is in season and the days are cool. <br /> <br />From Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen, by Nancy Singleton Hachisu/Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC <br /> <br />Photos (c) Kenji Miura

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