We Can Phickle That! is a weekly feature that will run from now through the end of produce season(s), I’ll be hitting up the farmers markets in search of the best seasonal vegetables to ferment. I’ll share my successes and favorite flavoring combinations with you on Thursdays until the produce becomes sad and sparse. If you don’t get the reference, please watch this hilarious video clip that approximately 3,000 of my closest friends and family members have sent me.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned at the food swap, it’s that heat is extremely subjective. I’ve had people tell me they love things hot and spicy and then choke on something that I don’t even think is remotely hot. (Swap hint: label hot stuff in super large, bold lettering). When I was in Peru I had a restauranteur at a foreigner-friendly joint basically freak out with repeated offers to replace my meal if it was too spicy, which was, to my taste buds, not even remotely spicy. In fact, I never had anything too spicy to eat in Peru, despite repeated warnings that my gringa mouth couldn’t handle their peppers. The hottest thing I did consume was a pisco cocktail made with an infusion of aji limo. It was unbelievably tasty, but not that spicy.
All this is to say that I enjoy a decent amount of heat and maybe you enjoy a decent amount of heat. Maybe we would talk about it and think we like the same level of heat. But probably we’d be wrong. So use a grain of salt (in addition to the grains of salt you dissolve into your brine) when adding heat. And you heat-haters (or people who think you like hot stuff but really can’t stand any amount of heat (btw, why do you do this? You’re only hurting yourselves, and it’s not that cool to eat heat, I promise)). I made these a little spicy. People who don’t like heat will not like them. People who do like heat will eat them and then say, “Oooh! These are actually a bit hot. I like it!” So if you fall into the first category, your takeaway from this post is that green beans ferment beautifully. My friend Corey assumed that these were meant to be bloody mary garnish, and I think he’s right!
HOT AND SPICY GREEN BEAN PICKLES
yields 1 quart
A word on the hot pepper flakes: I like to get mine from Asian or Indian markets, where they are clearly hot peppers that have been dried and flaked. They tend to be much hotter (and a brighter, prettier red color) than the good ol’, pizza parlor, red pepper flakes. If you like it super hot but only have roundy, grocery store flakes, feel free to throw in an extra tablespoon or add a couple more hot peppers.
If you’re new to fermented pickling, I recommend reading through this pickling basics guide before you get started.
Ingredients
- 3/4 or a quart of green beans, choose beans that are approximately the same length and circumference
- 4 Tablespoons of hot pepper flakes
- 1-2 fresno or cayenne peppers
- 1.5 cups of brine (1 Tablespoon plus a teaspoon of salt, dissolved in room temperature water)
How-to
- Mix your brine.
- Thoroughly wash your green beans removing any soft parts and the stem end.
- Place your hot pepper flakes into the bottom of a quart jar.
- Put your beans into the jar, whole and upright. I start with a handful and then work the other beans in around them. I pack them very tightly, and then pack the whole, de-stemmed hot peppers in around the sides for a lovely visual effect. If your beans are too long, trim or halve them. You need them to be just below the jar’s shoulders or covering them with brine will be tricky.
- Pour brine over the whole deal, ensuring that it covers the tops of the beans.
- Use your favorite method to submerge and cover the vegetables.
- Let them sit at room temperature away from direct sunlight for 2 weeks or until they taste acidic enough for you.
- When they’re right for you, put a lid on the jar and stick them in the fridge.
- Enjoy as a crunchy, spicy snack or in a bloody mary (or maybe a bloody carry or bloody kim?).
Eileen says
BEANS. I was just thinking about how I need to make some dilly beans for future bloody mary application too! I bet refrigerator beans are even better, with all the crunch. 🙂
Amanda says
Hi Eileen,
I have never tried to make a refrigerator pickled bean before, but I bet they would be delicious! These fermented pickles keep their crisp pretty well, too. Dilly beans are one of my faves, but I wanted to change it up a little bit this time. Have you fermented them dilly before? How’d you like them?
Axel says
Just discovered your website. LOve it! Thank you! New the the fermentation thing, except sourdough.
Amanda says
Thank you! You’re in for a good time if you’re just at the beginning of your exploration! Have fun and feel free to report on any fun experiments you’re doing on my Facebook page or even in the comments.
Allison says
We are in the process of making the fermenting green beans in a jar but were not sure how to weigh them down? Thank you for your time! We love your website! Ally
Amanda says
Hi Allison,
People use a lot of different methods to weigh veggies down in a vegetable ferment. Here is my favorite but anything that is food safe and fits inside the opening of your vessel may be used. If you’re fermenting in a crock, use a small plate. In a jar, you can use a boiled rock, a plastic bag with w little bit of brine in it or anything else that isn’t metal and fits in there (metal will corrode from the acid created during fermentation. Very bad news).
I hope that helps!
Cathy D says
LOVing your website! So glad I found it.
Wanting to ferment my beans, I don’t have pickling dill right now but do have some fresh baby dill and some dried dill. I also have some dried pickling spices. Can I use them to help make my beans dilly? Also, I don’t see you covering your jar as it ferments. Is that correct? Do you use a coffee filter or muslin/cheese cloth and then tightly cover after a few days? or can you put on a plastic mason jar lid (not canning lid) that isn’t airtight and maybe burp it from time to time (that’s what I do to my kraut)? I also want to make dilly carrots using the same method. Would that work?
Thanks for any help you can provide and continue the great work on your site. I’ll be a regular visitor!
Amanda says
Hi Cathy,
Yes, when it comes to seasonings, you have a ton of leeway! I can’t give you the quantity adjustments for using dried, but I use fresh all the time.
The instructions for submerging and covering are linked to in the recipe (step 6), so I’ll let you check that out if you’d like! Thanks for reading!
Blake McMullin says
Hello,
Just finished my first batch of these spicy green beans and they were amazing!
Now I’m not sure what to do with the leftover brine.
It’s been in the fridge for about 3 weeks now.
Can I re-use it to make more spicy green beans, like just add them to the jar and pop them in the fridge for a week or so?
Don’t want to waste it since I used some amazing gochugaru Korean chili flakes.
Or maybe I could make a spicy sauerkraut?
I’m quite new to all of this so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Lastly, thanks for this amazing recipe and tutorial!
Can’t wait to start a batch of radishes next.
Amanda says
Hi Blake,
Ideally, you wouldn’t reuse the brine to ferment more vegetables for a few reasons, although it will speed up the process. I do reuse the brine for other stuff. You can do shots (better than gatorade after a workout), braise vegetables in a diluted version, add the brine anywhere salty, acidic flavorful liquid would be an advantage! You can also use it as a starter if you like. In my experience, that’s not best practice, but it’t not a bad thing to do either.