Fermented Dilly Beans
(GAPS Diet, Whole30, Paleo, Probiotic)
Craving a salty, crunchy snack but don’t want to compromise your health goals? These fermented dilly beans satiate any snack craving and are packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and gut-healthy bacteria.
What is a Fermented Food?
Fermenting a food involves the transformation of a food (like vegetables, fruit, milk, wheat, soy, etc.) into a new type of food via microbes and enzymes. For example, turning cucumbers into pickles, soy into soy sauce, cabbage into sauerkraut or fruit into wine.
Why Are Fermented Foods So Healthy?
In the process of fermentation, bacteria feed on the natural sugars and starches in the food, creating lactic acid, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and probiotics. Fermenting foods generally makes them easier to digest, as the process breaks down phytic acid and oxalates in certain foods. Consuming fermented foods regularly helps with overall immune system wellness, and is a really important part of the GAPS Diet (and any diet, in my humble opinion!) and has helped our family heal from certain food allergies.
How to Help Children Like Fermented Dilly Beans?
In this post How to Make Fermented Carrots (That Picky Eaters Love!)? I share the 4 strategies we used to help our children enjoy eating fermented foods. I feel great about serving fermented foods as a regular staple in our home to promote a strong gut and mental wellness. Our children often help themselves to jars of fermented veggies or kefir, or ask for the pickled juices. We have come a long way! Plus, this recipe basically tastes like eating pickles…almost everyone loves pickles!
Fermented Dilly Beans Recipe
Fermented Dilly Beans
Craving a salty, crunchy snack but don't want to compromise your health goals? These fermented dilly beans satiate any snack craving and are packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and gut-healthy bacteria.
TOOLS YOU MAY NEED:
1. Mason jars
2. Mason jar lids
3. Chopping knife
4. Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sea or rock salt
- About 3 cups fresh green beans, stems removed
- Fresh garlic (optional)
- Fresh dill (especially the heads/flowers)
- Cabbage leaf or fermentation weight
Instructions
1. Stir salt into 1 cup of filtered water until dissolved.
2. Pack the beans into a clean quart jar, leaving about 1 inch of head-space at the top.
OPTIONAL: Use a large cabbage leave or fermentation weight to ensure beans are completely submerged and none are floating. This will help prevent mold growth.
3. Pour additional water over the beans, ensuring the beans are completely covered.
4. Wipe the rim of the jar clean and screw plastic lid on tightly.
5. Allow the beans to ferment for up to 3 weeks at room temperature. The longer they ferment, the tangier/more fermented they become. Our kids prefer a shorter ferment. To slow the ferment, simply store in a cool place, such as a cellar, basement, or fridge. Fermentation will be more rapid in hotter weather or temperatures.
Notes
- We love adding fresh garlic and dill heads to this recipe. If you are starting with very picky eaters, consider trying just the salt water brine first and slowly add in garlic in future recipes. Our kids do love the garlic as well!
- Adding dill makes the beans taste like pickles-almost everyone loves pickles!
- It is completely normal for fermented foods to look "cloudy" when fermented (see picture on the post).
Do you like to ferment veggies? What is you favorite recipe? Over here, we like to ferment just about everything!
Resources
Posts
GAPS Diet Fermented Foods
How to Start the GAPS Introduction Diet?
How To Cure A Dairy Allergy or Sensitivity With the GAPS Diet
How to Make Fermented Carrots (That Picky Eaters Love!)?
How to Make Milk Kefir?
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Ohhh! I’m going to try these! I’ve fermented for years, but I’ve never done the beans!