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nilajones

Pickled beans? Not green beans, real beany-beans!

NilaJones
10 years ago

I've had brined favas and lupini beans from the store, and liked them. Can I do the same with my scarlet runner beans?

Anybody have a good recipe? I don't want to be unsafe.

I am surprised not to find anything in the Joy of Pickling index!

Comments (23)

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    I have pickled some SRB(by fermentation.) I like them . Very crunchy. I hope you find the recipe you are looking for.

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Shelled or unshelled, fresh or dried? I'm assuming fresh shelled beans pickling brine rather than fermented.

    You can always use the 3 Bean Salad recipe from NCHFP for them. In JOP check out the Pickled Snap Peas on 125 if you want them in the pod but it is for fridge only, not canning.

    They all fall in the same pH range of 5.5 to 6.0 so the issue is adding enough acid to them. The NCHFP calls for both vinegar and lemon juice for processing for shelf storage. The same recipe in Ball Complete uses more vinegar and leaves out the lemon.

    Dave

  • NilaJones
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks, Dave and seysonn :).

    Yes, I was thinking fresh, shelled, SRBs.

    I'd like to ferment them. Would it be safe to use the brine from a string bean recipe in JOP? Would it be better to use my leftover brine from last week, or use fresh?

  • NilaJones
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I figured I might want to do favas in the spring; that's why I was making it a generic bean question :).

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    I pickled mine unshelled, from not fully filled ones, just like string beans. I like the shell itself as much as beans.

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Nila if you want to ferment them then you don't need a recipe. It is just the beans, water, spices of choice, and salt. You can add peppers or onions or garlic if you wish too.

    JOP explains the various levels of salt brine you can use to ferment just about anything. Chapter 2, pg. 38-39 depending on if you are using gallons or quarts.

    But yeah if you want a specific recipe to go by then you can use any of the JOP recipes in chap. 2. I'd rather choose one that has a similar texture to fresh shelled beans like maybe the diced turnips of radish ones rather than the ones for beans in the pod.

    I've had brined favas and lupini beans from the store

    i assumed you meant pickled in vinegar brine, not fermented, as vinegar brined are the only ones I have ever seen in the stores and are far more common. The only ones I've seen in stores that were fermented were bean pastes.

    Dave

    PS: keep in mind there are 3 different ways to make pickled anything - fresh pack, brined (usually vinegar), and fermented :)

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    Dave

    PS: keep in mind there are 3 different ways to make pickled anything - fresh pack, brined (usually vinegar), and fermented :)
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    I have a question in that regard:

    What will happen if I add some vinegar to my dill pickle. Say, 3 TBspoon to a quart.? I don't want to discuss my recipe. Just take your approved dill pickel recipe (NO SUGAR)
    I am talking about fermenting in brine.

  • readinglady
    10 years ago

    Do you mean add a small measure of vinegar to a standard fermented dill? No problem if that's what you want. It's common to add a small amount of vinegar to the crock if you spot a bit of mold, for example, and want to avoid further problems until the lactic acid level in the ferment is sufficiently acid to inhibit on its own.

    Carol

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    Carol ... yes , I want to add small amount of vinegar . I know I can add it afterwards . My question is : is it ok to add in the beginning?

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    I have seen a few fermenting recipes that include just a bit of vinegar in at the beginning so I guess it is possible. But I'm talking about 1-2 T approx. From some of what I have read it may slow the fermentation down. Others say it makes no difference. Never tried it myself.

    Dave

  • readinglady
    10 years ago

    Yes, you can.

    Carol

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    Thank you both. That is what I said before, just couple of TBL spoon per quart.

  • NilaJones
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks, everyone!

    @Dave:

    >Nila if you want to ferment them then you don't need a recipe. It is just the beans, water, spices of choice, and salt.

    >But yeah if you want a specific recipe to go by then you can use any of the JOP recipes in chap. 2. I'd rather choose one that has a similar texture to fresh shelled beans like maybe the diced turnips of radish ones rather than the ones for beans in the pod.

    Oh. I thought different vegies needed different ratios of salt and water, for safety reasons. Is that all wrong?

    >>I've had brined favas and lupini beans from the store

    >i assumed you meant pickled in vinegar brine, not fermented, as vinegar brined are the only ones I have ever seen in the stores and are far more common.

    I've bought lupinis with no ingredients other than salt, water, and preservative. From the taste, I think they were fermented first, but the label did not say.

    Favas I have maybe only had in vinegar and oil (and spices).

    --

    @seysonn:

    >I pickled mine unshelled, from not fully filled ones, just like string beans. I like the shell itself as much as beans.

    Oh, yes, I did this too, this summer :). Very tasty!

    But now what I have are a ton of full ones, some turning brown, that want picking before frost. And I have already saved enough seed, and cooked a bunch as shellies and frozen them. Good crop this year :).

  • Randy.Canada
    10 years ago

    What a great topic, and what a great autumn (what a great summer it finally turned out to be).

    I cannot figure out what JOP is.

    I am canning beans that I grew: red kidney and Romano. Not to hijack the thread (I will not be pickling any of them, just straight up water/brine canning), I will poke around for a topic that is closer to that.

    Or... start a new topic? While the beans "cook", I will look around some.

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    Not to hijack the thread (I will not be pickling any of them, just straight up water/brine canning),
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    I don't think that discussing a related subject is called "Hijacking"

    I am sure OP (Nila Jones) has already gotten the answer to her question and that she wouldn't mind it your canning.

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Oh. I thought different vegies needed different ratios of salt and water, for safety reasons. Is that all wrong?

    Different veggies may benefit flavor-wise from different brine levels but that is a matter of taste.

    As long as you use one of the recommended salt brine levels - see salt brine charts referenced above in Joy of Pickling (JOP) for example - then you can safely ferment any vegetable or mixture of vegetables.

    This, of course, assumes you use the proper fermenting techniques too - enough brine to cover the amount of vegetables, time, air temps, cover, skimming, etc.

    Dave

    PS: Randy - feel free to start a new thread. That way the OP won'r be getting all the emails if it turns into a long discussion. :)

    This post was edited by digdirt on Sat, Oct 26, 13 at 11:16

  • Randy.Canada
    10 years ago

    Seysonn and Digdirt, thanks! I started a new thread for a few reasons, and yours about not pestering the OP here is the icing on the cake!

  • NilaJones
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you, Dave, for the fermenting info!

    And I am not signed up for the emails, so no-one need worry about that. But I do think Randy will get more replies in a separate thread.

    Randy, kudos for growing your own kidney beans! I don't grow dried beans yet, except for favas.

    Do you can the romanos as green/string beans, or as shellies, or as dried beans?

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    And I am not signed up for the emails, so no-one need worry about that.

    Ok I just thought you had apparently checked the box on this one since it is one labeled with the A copy of further followups will be emailed to this poster.

    Normally that only appears when the OP checked the box to receive all the replies on the thread.

    Most threads are just for reading here but when that box gets checked you get every email on the thread even if it gets dragged back up 2 years from now.

    Dave

  • Randy.Canada
    10 years ago

    NilaJones, I did start a new topic, here: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg1013065218375.html

    I shell the Romanos (long version is in the new topic) to dry. For the first time ever, I just canned the shellies (why, etc., plus photo, in longer version).

    I am amazed by how easy it is to grow your own beans and by how much better they taste!

    Here is a link that might be useful: The longer article

  • readinglady
    10 years ago

    JOP is Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich. (She also has a blog.)

    Carol

  • NilaJones
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    @Dave:

    I have not been getting the emails, so I guess is just some bug in the display?

  • Randy.Canada
    10 years ago

    Reading Lady, thank you! Sounds like a good book to have.