Fermenting has always been a part of food cultures, until recent years. In this article, we share with you a delicious and healthy fermented recipe.

Fermenting foods seems to have been at the heart of our food culture forever. Until recently. With the industrialisation of food and our increasing separation from natural food culture, we somehow forgot about how much food is fermented and how good it is for us.

As ‘fermentation revivalist’ and catalyst for the surge of interest in all things ‘fermented’ Sandor Katz says, “Fermentation makes foods more nutritious, as well as delicious. Microscopic organisms – our ancestors and allies – transform food and extend its usefulness. Fermentation is found throughout human cultures. Hundreds of medical and scientific studies confirm what folklore has always known: Fermented foods help people stay healthy. Many of your favourite foods and drinks are probably fermented. For instance: Bread, Cheese, Wine, Beer, Mead, Cider, Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, Pickles, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Salami, Miso, Tempeh, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Yogurt, Kefir, Kombucha.”

The confirmation of the central importance of a balanced microbiome to our overall health – especially the gut-brain-immunity health relationship – backs up traditional habits of preserving foods and including them as an essential and regular part of the diet. As all vegetables, fruits and herbs are covered in some lactic acid, when they are placed in an appropriately acid environment, beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria will flourish as the vegetables ferment. When eaten this helps to enhance overall microbial diversity. There is some interesting experimentation fermenting therapeutic herbs such as ginger and turmeric to release more potency. You can also learn more about the importance of our microbiome and how plants can support it in our article “Plants and the gut microbiome: Prebiotics and postbiotics“. 

The simplest method is using salt, aiming for 5-6% concentration. You can either just rub salt on the vegetables as in the traditional sauerkraut method, or use a salt brine as olives and gherkins are commonly fermented in. Here’s a simple recipe using brine and green beans with some herbs, so you can try it at home.

Digestive green beans brine ferment method

Dilute 50g salt in 1000ml water giving you a 5% solution.

Fill a 1 litre Kilner jar with a bunch of fresh whole green beans approx. 500g 

Sprinkle with digestive herbs such as ginger, fennel seed and black pepper. Or fresh thyme, rosemary and horseradish.

Pour over the brine ensuring every part of the beans is covered. It can help to put a stone weight on top of the beans to stop any floating up to the surface- or use a spare cabbage leaf and wrap it over the top, tucking it down the sides of the jar.

Seal the lid and leave in a warm spot in the kitchen. Pop the top to release any gases once a day. How warm it is will influence the fermentation rate but usually between 3-7 days will work. Test every day to assess the acidity, and when it’s ready store in the fridge and have a few beans a day to add some regular nourishment to your microbiome.

When the beans are finished you can reuse the brine with your next batch of vegetables, just top up with a bit more salt as needed.

You can try this with any herb or vegetable such as carrots, beetroots, cabbage, chillies, tomatoes etc. The harder the veg, the longer fermentation needed.