Fermented Green Beans (Dilly Beans)

Ingredients

• ●1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed to fit your jar standing upright
• ●2 cups filtered water
• ●1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• ●3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• ●2 large sprigs fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dill seeds)
• ●1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• ●1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• ●1 grape leaf, oak leaf, or horseradish leaf (optional — keeps beans crunchy due to tannins)

Method

1. Dissolve the salt in the water to make your brine.
2. Place the garlic, dill, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes in the bottom of a clean quart jar.
3. Pack the green beans upright into the jar, standing them vertically. Pack them tightly — they should hold each other in place. If using a tannin-rich leaf, tuck it along the side.
4. Pour the brine over the beans until fully submerged. Leave 1 inch of headspace.
5. Place a weight on top (a small jar lid or fermentation weight) to keep the beans below the brine.
6. Seal with an airlock lid and ferment at room temperature for 5-7 days. Taste at day 5 — they should be tangy, crunchy, and pleasantly dill-flavored.
7. Transfer to the fridge when the flavor is right.