Fermented green beans

The process of lactic fermentation gives the beans a fine and salty sour taste. Fermented green beans are not only delicious, but rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, making them a healthy addition to our diet.

Also known as salty beans, sour beans or runner beans, fermented green beans taste much better homemade than store-bought and also have a higher nutritional value. Of the various methods of preserving fresh green beans and using them in traditional recipes, fermentation saves energy and time and is therefore my favorite.

Green beans have a short season regionally and are available from July to the end of September.

Kids love fermented green beans

If you're looking for a ferment to wow your kids with, fermented green beans are the way to go! Their mild, sweet flavor and crunchy texture make them an ideal vegetable for kids. Plus, this ferment is great for them to help chop. This helps them relate to food and encourages them to try the finished ferment.

Raw green beans are toxic

Green beans and bean seeds, just like other legumes, contain phasin. Phasin is toxic to humans because it causes red blood cells to stick together. Eating raw beans even in small quantities causes stomach and intestinal distress, vomiting or diarrhea.

Perhaps it doesn't matter to nibble on a raw bean once in a while, and it doesn't make any difference to cook the beans for only 8 minutes instead of 10. But eating raw or almost raw beans on a regular basis is not a good idea.

Fermented green beans

Course: Beilage, Hauptgericht, Salat, SuppeCuisine: GermanDifficulty: easy

Servings

1

Glas

Prep time

45

minutes

Fermentation time

4-5

weeks

Equipment

• 1 liter bail-top jar (1)
• Pot (1)

Ingredients

• 400 grams green beans [broad beans, runner beans, princess beans or bush beans]

• 2 liters salted water [to cook the beans]

• 1 white onion

• 2-3 cloves garlic

• 16 grams salt

• 500 ml water

Instructions

• Clean and trim the beans and boil them in salted water for 8 minutes.
• Drain and let cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces according to your preference. I like runner beans cut in half, broad beans cut into 1-2 cm wide diagonal strips.
• Cut onion into rings or quarters and add to the bottom of the jar.
• Peel the garlic, place on top of the onion.
• Cut the beans into small pieces and add them to the jar. They should reach to about 5cm below the rim, so there is still enough space for the brine.
• Mix the salt and water to make a brine and fill the jar to just below the rim. The brine must cover everything and end about 2-3cm below the rim of the jar.
• If the beans want to float up, use a weight or other horizontal barricade.
• Ferment for 4-5 weeks. The first week a little warmer (19 ° C - 22 ° C), then it should be cooler (around 17 ° C).
• Once opened, store in a cool place and continue to keep the vegetables under the brine. Opened, the beans keep at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator, usually much longer.

Notes

• I love fermented beans and eat them in stew, or quickly prepared as a salad. Enjoyed cold, they also preserve the lactobacilli. The co-fermented onions go very well with both dishes!

Nutrition facts

• Calories: 27kcal

Did you try this ferment?

Tag @fermentation.love on instagram and hashtag your post with #fermentationlove .

Traditional recipes and grandma's influence

Maybe you know sour bean salad from your grandmother? It is a special treat for me and is associated with many happy memories. To make it, my grandmother mixed the cooked beans with a vinegar-oil marinade. With fermented green beans, you can save the vinegar because they already taste sour due to the lactic acid fermentation.

Green bean soup and sour bean stew also pay homage to family cooking and bring back childhood memories.

Fermentation is preservation

Green beans are a delicious vegetable with a short season that can be preserved by fermentation and enjoyed all year round. Children like green beans and their versatility allows them to be used in a variety of dishes. There are traditional recipes passed down in many families in Western and Central Europe. To carry them on is a heartfelt endeavor.

So, why not get some fresh green beans and discover new taste sensations?

Wild ferments

I like to follow traditions and preserve traditional recipes, but I also like to play with the procedures and flavors. For example, during a vacation on the sailboat, I spontaneously came up with a coastal version of fermented green beans. On the roadside, I collected wild pink dog roses, from which I cooked the brine, and a not quite ripe peach also wandered into the jar.

The ferment has turned out to be a culinary highlight! I have shared the recipe with the editors of DAS! from NDR, you can find it here to do it yourself: https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/kochen/rezepte/Fermentierte-gruene-Bohnen-mit-Pfirsich-und-Rosen,bohnen244.html

Sources

• Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/press_information/2021/32/only_enjoy_cooked_beans-278526.html