Fermented Green Beans — The Renata Collective

I love having home-made fermented green beans in the fridge. They are versatile - they can be used in salads, as a summer side dish or as a yummy quick, healthy and satisfying snack. I use the ‘lacto-fermentation’ process - the same raw method that makes traditional dill pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi. It is a very simple fermentation process and all you need is salt, vegetables and water, with simple effort for great results!

If you would like to learn more about Fermentation, I highly recommend this fabulous Fundamentals of Fermentation course that I took through the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, when it is available next time – get on the wait list!

Now, on to my Fermented Green Beans recipe!

Recipe

Crispy, tangy, garlicky green beans! Eat them straight from the jar or cut them up into a fresh salad for that little something extra!

Prep time: 15 minutes / Fermentation time: 3-5 days minimum / Yield: a 500ml jar of delicious fermented green beans

Equipment

1 - 500ml mason jar with a tight sealing lid
1 - 2 cup measuring cup
A piece of parchment paper to put between the jar and the lid
Masking tape and a pen to label your jar

Ingredients

Green beans to fill your jar
Non-chlorinated water enough to cover the vegetables in your jar
1 Tbsp Non-iodized Sea Salt – the iodine inhibits the beneficial bacteria
2 cloves garlic – peeled (or 4 cloves if they are small)

Variations

Use other veggies - carrot sticks, small cucumbers, cauliflower cut into pieces
Experiment with seasoning/spices of your choice, such as 1 Tbsp dill, celery or mustard seeds or a combination of all making up 1 Tbsp, 1 tsp whole cloves, a bay leaf, 4 x ¼” ginger slices
Note: for difference sized jars, use ½ Tbsp for every cup of water

How It’s Made

One day before - fill a container with a minimum 2 cups of water (for a 500ml jar) and let it sit on the counter for the chlorine to dissipate.
Day of - wash and trim your green beans.
Fill your jar as tightly as you can with the green beans.
Add the garlic to the jar, pushing the cloves down so they are nestled amongst the green beans.
Fill the jar with the water.
Pour the water from the jar into the measuring cup to accurately know how much water you have and how much salt you need.
Add salt accordingly and stir to dissolve – you will need ½ Tbsp per 1 cup of water. I had 1 2/3 cup of water so I used just under 1 Tbsp of salt.
Pour the salted water into the jar.
Loosely put the lid on and cover with a kitchen towel. Leave the jar to rest on the counter for 4-5 days.
After 4-5 days, taste a bean. It will already have a mild fermented taste.
Place a piece of parchment paper over the jar between the jar and the metal lid and ring fastener/lid. This prevents the rubber from the flat lid to disintegrate from the brine. Tighten the lid well. Give the jar a shake.
Label your jar with the veggie used, the date and the seasoning if using a mixture of things.
Put the jar in the fridge to ferment longer. They are ready to eat from this stage onwards – the longer you leave them in the fridge, the richer the fermented taste will be.

Enjoy!!

Tip:

When you are done eating all your delicious fermented beans and are ready to make more, use a half cup of the flavourful brine from the jar as part of the water amount for your next batch! Use the same amount of salt as you would if you used plain water. Some of the salt from the brine will have been used in the fermenting so will not be as strong.