Cleaning and Storing Fresh Ingredients for Namul

There are two main categories of vegetables that are made into Namul; leafy and root vegetables. Each need to be cleaned and stored based on the type for maximum freshness.

Leafy Vegetables

How to Clean Leafy Vegetables

The best way to clean leafy vegetables is to soak them in water. Do not soak your leafy vegetables for too long, or nutrients will be leeched out of the vegetables. Soaking leafy greens that are limp in cold water can help to restore the crispiness of those greens. It helps to have the roots still attached to the greens for this to work really well, but it can still work if you only have the base section, not the roots.

When Cleaning Leafy Vegetables for Namul:

1. First, wash the leafy vegetables in cold water a few times until all visible dirt is removed. Wash the leafy greens at least 3 times.
2. Next, add the greens to a bowl and soak the leafy greens in plain water or water with some vinegar in it. Adding vinegar to the water cleans the leafy greens. Use white vinegar (양조식초), not strong flavored kinds of vinegar. 양조식초is your typical vinegar; it has a moderate flavor and is best for cleaning. Now allow your greens to soak for 5 – 10 minutes in plain water or water with a couple of spoons of vinegar. This is an important step for all methods but especially for Saengchae (생채), aka fresh vegetables with sauce. Vegetables like Water Dropwort (미나리) and Stringy Stonecrop (돌나물) are examples of vegetables that can be soaked with vinegar.
3. If you use vinegar water, make sure to wash the vegetables one last time in fresh cold water before using them.

How to Store Leafy Vegetables

Some leafy greens can last up to a week in the fridge, while other delicate greens may need to be used within a few days.

1. After cleaning the greens, drain them completely of all water using a colander or salad spinner.
2. After draining fully, you can wrap the greens in a damp paper towel or newspaper to prevent them from drying, then place them in an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap.
3. If you plan to use it soon, then you can quickly wrap the vegetables in a damp paper towel or newspaper and store them in the vegetable drawer.

Root Vegetables

How to Clean Root Vegetables

When dealing with root vegetables, you need to prepare them differently if you plan on using them immediately or if you plan to use them later.

If you plan on using the root vegetables immediately:

1. Wash the roots in cold water to remove any visible dirt, then soak them for 5-10 minutes in plain water or vinegar water to clean them completely.
2. Next, glide your knife lightly over the surface to remove the top layer of the root along with any remaining dirt.

If you plan to use the root vegetables later:

1. Do not wash your root vegetables at all if you plan to use them later. Instead, just shake any large pieces of dirt off the root vegetables.
2. After shaking off the dirt, wrap them in a newspaper or a paper towel and place them into an airtight container. Don’t place root vegetables in a plastic bag, or they will go bad faster.