12-MONTH FERMENTATION CHALLENGE: Month #7 – SPICY FERMENTED GREEN BEANS RECIPE / HOW TO FERMENT GREEN BEANS
You may have eaten dilly beans, but have you tasted fermented CURRIED green beans? With a touch of curry powder, a tablespoon of ginger, and a dash of red pepper, this spicy fermented green bean recipe will have your taste buds tap dancing to its lively Asian flavor.
If you’ve ever canned beans the traditional way — ie slaving over a hot stove for hours upon hours, you’ll also find this recipe incredibly simple and easy to prepare. You won’t have to spend your whole day prepping and boiling cans of food. These beans are simply packed into jars and covered in a salt brine. You let them sit at room temperature for a few days and they preserve themselves!
And unlike water-bath canned foods which lose nutrients, foods preserved by fermentation actually increase in nutritional value.
Have I convinced you yet? These spicy fermented green beans are not only downright delicious, but they’re easy to prepare and packed with gut-friendly probiotics. So, what are you waiting for? Head out to the garden and gather up some beans!
HOW TO FERMENT GREEN BEANS: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
SUPPLIES:
- 500 ml mason jar
- plastic Ziploc bag
- Stainless steel knife
SPICY FERMENTED GREEN BEANS WITH CURRY AND GINGER
- 400 g (about 4 cups) green beans
- 1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves)
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp unrefined sea salt in 2 cups of unchlorinated water
- grape leaf to top the jar (optional)
STEP 1
Wash the green beans and cut off the ends.
STEP 2
Add the garlic and spices to your jar and then pack the green beans in so tightly that you can’t possibly fit in one more. This will prevent the beans from floating up and out of the brine.
STEP 3
Mix 2 cups of water with 1 tbsp of salt and pour over your green beans so they are completely covered.
STEP 4
Place the grape leaf or a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the beans to help them stay submerged. Cover loosely.
STEP 5
Top with a quart-sized ziplock bag. I gleaned this trick from the book, Fermented Vegetables. Simply press the plastic down onto the top of the ferment and then fill the bag with water and seal. The bag will act as both a follower and weight. No need to buy any fancy equipment. Then screw on the lid (but not too tightly).
STEP 6
Set aside out of direct sunlight at room temperature (60-70°F is preferred) for 6 to 10 days (I let mine sit for a full week). Check daily to ensure the beans remains submerged. You’ll notice that the beans will lose color over time and the brine will become cloudy.
STEP 7
Once the beans are finished fermenting, remove the plastic bag, tighten the lid, and store in the fridge. They will keep refrigerated for up to a year.
FAQ – HOW TO FERMENT GREEN BEANS
WHAT ARE LACTO-FERMENTED GREEN BEANS?
Lacto fermentation is the ancient art of pickling long before there was canning. Basically, vegetables are fermented by lactic-acid bacteria, which are found on the surface of all fruits and vegetables. How does it work? During fermentation, bacteria eat the vegetable’s sugars, which release lactic acid. This acid acts as a preservative and prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. The process doesn’t require heat so you retain all of the raw vegetable’s vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LACTO-FERMENTED GREEN BEANS?
You may have heard that fermenting turns your food into natural probiotics. So, instead of popping a probiotic pill, you can eat fermented foods, which, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola of Mercola.com, actually contain 100 times more probiotics than a pricey supplement. In fact, one serving of fermented foods contains 1.5 billion to 10 trillion colony-forming units of bacteria compared to 50 million to 10 billion per pill.
One quick search on the Internet will result in tonnes of information on the health benefits of probiotics from boosting your immune system and improving digestion to reducing inflammation and detoxifying your body. I don’t know if it’s all true, but I think I feel better after eating a few fermented green beans. I think you will too!
WHAT DO FERMENTED GREEN BEANS TASTE LIKE?
Fermented green beans are deliciously crunchy, tangy, and salty. In this recipe, you’ll taste the curry and ginger with a hint of red pepper.
HOW MUCH SALT IS IN LACTO-FERMENTED GREEN BEANS?
Salt is the MOST crucial ingredient in this recipe. It is a preservative and can keep vegetables edible for months…maybe even years!!! Can I get a “hooray” for salt! In fermentation, the salt draws juices from the vegetable’s cells and creates that lovely, cloudy brine rich with health-boosting lactic-acid bacteria. The salinity of the brine encourages good-for-us bacteria to flourish and inhibits the growth of bacteria and yeast that could make us sick. Salt also helps keep your vegetables crispy by hardening the pectin in the cells of the vegetables.
WHY DO I NEED TO USE SO MUCH SALT? I’VE HEARD SALT IS BAD FOR ME.
Once again, health experts are changing their minds. Recent evidence suggests that for many, salt reduction has an overall negative impact on several aspects of health. Recent study, after study, after study, after study have found many negative effects of a low salt diet. Yikes! It turns out that salt not only makes our food taste better, but it prevents problems, like insulin resistance, plaque formation, increased stress hormones, worsened blood lipids, and elevated aldosterone.
WHAT IF THE BRINE DOESN’T COMPLETELY COVER MY FERMENTED GREEN BEANS?
The brine should cover the vegetables at all times or else they will start developing mold and yeast and your ferment may be ruined. The salty brine creates an environment that’s inhospitable to bad bacteria so as long as your green beans remain under the anaerobic safety of the brine, it is safe to eat. But any exposed portion will not be.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY GREEN BEANS HAVE FERMENTED?
You will see bubbles of carbon dioxide gas in the salty water (brine), which means you’ve been successful and the brine has started to acidify. Over time, the mixture will become cloudy and the green beans will lose their color and soften a bit (but will still keep some crunch). Now, you can start to taste test your green beans.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I BURP MY LACTO-FERMENTED GREEN BEANS?
If you are using mason jars, you will need to “burp” your fermented green beans. When you screw on the lids of your ferments, don’t place them too tightly in order to let some of the fermentation gasses escape. Soon you’ll see bubbles of carbon dioxide gas in the brine, which means you’ve been successful and the brine has started to acidify. This is the stage in which you will begin to “burp” your jar every couple of days if you are using a standard sealing lid. Simply unscrew the lid slightly and allow the gas to escape.
WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD I KEEP MY FERMENTED FOODS AT?
Most recommendations are to ferment between 55°F and 75°F (13°C to 24°C), which is especially conducive to L. plantarum and L. brevis lactobacillus bacteria, according to the book, Fermented Vegetables.
HOW LONG WILL MY FERMENTED GREEN BEANS SIT ON THE COUNTER?
There isn’t a cut-and-dry date for when fermented green beans are done. It depends on the temperature of your home and how sour you like your green beans. It can take 6 to 10 days.
HOW LONG DO LACTO-FERMENTED GREEN BEANS LAST?
Fermented green beans will keep refrigerated for up to a year. Once opened, keep them covered in brine.
HOW DO I STORE FERMENTED GREEN BEANS?
Store your fermented green beans in jars with the lids tightened in the fridge. They will keep for about a year.
SPICY FERMENTED GREEN BEANS WITH CURRY AND GINGER
Ingredients
- 400 g about 4 cups green beans
- 1 tsp minced garlic or 2 cloves
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp unrefined sea salt in 2 cups of unchlorinated water
- grape leaf to top the jar optional
Instructions
- Wash the green beans and cut off the ends.
- Add the garlic and spices to your jar and then pack the green beans in so tightly that you can’t possibly fit in one more. This will prevent the beans from floating up and out of the brine.
- Mix 2 cups of water with 1 tbsp of salt and pour over your green beans so they are completely covered.
- Place the grape leaf or a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the beans to help them stay submerged. Cover loosely.
- Top with a quart-sized ziplock bag. I gleaned this trick from the book, Fermented Vegetables. Simply press the plastic down onto the top of the ferment and then fill the bag with water and seal. The bag will act as both a follower and weight. No need to buy any fancy equipment. Then screw on the lid (but not too tightly).
- Set aside out of direct sunlight at room temperature (60-70°F is preferred) for 6 to 10 days (I let mine sit for a full week). Check daily to ensure the beans remains submerged and burp every couple of days to release excess pressure. You’ll notice that the beans will lose color over time and the brine will become cloudy.
- Once the beans are finished fermenting, remove the plastic bag, tighten the lid, and store in the fridge. They will keep refrigerated for up to a year.
Enjoyed these spicy fermented green beans? Check out my other recipes in the 12-month Fermentation Challenge series:
Month #6 – SPICED LACTO-FERMENTED RHUBARB WITH ORANGES & CINNAMON
Month #5 – EASIEST FERMENTED SAUERKRAUT RECIPE
Month #4 – LACTO-FERMENTED RADISHES WITH DILL
Month #3 – FERMENTED GINGER CARROTS
Month #2 – FERMENTED ZUCCHINI WITH DILL AND GARLIC
Month #1 – LEMON GINGER WATER KEFIR
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