I really love fermented green bean pickles. Salty, tangy, delicious and great source of probiotics. Best of all, fermenting green beans is an easy, no-cook way to store this garden vegetable.
Personally, I usually grow yellow beans (affiliate link) because they’re quite pretty and stand out against the green leaves. However, it’s still a green bean, even if it’s not green in colour!
How to serve fermented green bean pickles
My kids LOVE fermented green beans. They are so delicious that I can just open up a jar as a snack and they’ll be gone within a few minutes! If you aren’t sure what to do with your jar of green bean pickles, here are a few other serving suggestions.
- I like to serve them with cheese or charcuterie.
- Perfect for picnics and barbecues. Just open a jar and stick a fork in it!
- Make a probiotic Nicoise or cobb salad.
- Add them to a Buddha bowl.
- Use them in your favourite three-bean salad.
- Spicy green beans are perfect for a Bloody Mary.
Flavouring your Fermented Green Beans
Fermenting is the perfect way to play with flavour. This simple recipe makes about 1 pint (or a quart jar not quite filled to the top). So make a few jars and stick different flavours into each one.
Here are a few flavours that we enjoy. Simply add them to the basic recipe. They all taste good with these garlicky green beans.
- Spicy: Add 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes.
- Dilly: A sprig or head of dill weed.
- Mixed spice: Add 1 tsp of pickling spice to the jar.
- Onion: Add two thin slices of white onion.
Fermented Green Beans
Fermented garlicky green bean pickles are probiotic and delicious. They are a quick and easy way to preserve green beans. See the sections above for 4 different flavour options.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 pint jar 1x
- Category: Pickles
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 lbs green beans
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tbsp of culture (see notes)
- 2/3 cup of water, enough to cover (chlorine-free)
Instructions
- Dissolve the salt in a 1/4 cup of water in the bottom of a glass jar.
- Wash the green beans and trim the tops. Peel the garlic clove. If you’re using a pint jar, then beans will need to be trimmed to fit. See the notes for more details on options for the jar.
- Pack the jar with the beans and garlic and dill. Add the culture (if you’re using it) and fill the jar with water, leaving 1″ of headroom at the top of the jar.
- Use a weight to make sure that the beans remain below the brine.
- Place the jar somewhere dark (a kitchen cupboard is perfect) to ferment for 2-3 days. After 3 days the beans will be fermented but still crisp. However, if you like soft beans then these beans can be left to ferment for several months.
- Store in the refrigerator and eat within 1 month.
Notes
- Green beans don’t need a starter. However, if you want to make a quick ferment use whey, sauerkraut juice or a purchased vegetable starter (affiliate link). If you use a starter don’t ferment for longer than 3 days.
- If you are doing a short, 3-day ferment, then just pack the beans into a wide-mouth mason jar and use a smaller, jam jar, as a weight. This recipe is designed for a pint-sized jar but will fit more easily in a quart jar.
- To store the fermented beans for up to 6 months, use a jar that will allow CO2 to escape while preventing contamination. I like fido jars
(affiliate link), but an airlock or pickle pipe will work as well. And keep everything as clean as possible.
(affiliate link), but an airlock or pickle pipe will work as well. And keep everything as Keywords: probiotic, healthy, storage, preservation, summer, simple, lacto-fermented, brined, vegan, gluten free, keto, whole 30, dairy free, egg free, nut free
Can i ferment these in a Fido jar, instead, or is it better to use a mason jar?
A fido jar would work as well! I sort of do a mix of mason jars and fidos depending on what I’ve got going on.
We just finished our summer batch of these. What a great and quick way to use up those extra beans from the garden!
★★★★★