Lacto Fermented Green Peas
Briny and flavorful lacto fermented peas can be eaten as is, or added to any salad for a boost of probiotics and vitamins.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of shelled green peas fresh; or frozen/thawed - 2 16oz bags
- 3-4 inch piece of fresh horseradish root sliced
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 5-6 bay leaves
- 1 quart of filtered water hot
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar raw and unfiltered
- 2-3 tablespoon sauerkraut juice optional
- 1 cabbage leaf
Instructions
- Put peas into a half gallon mason jar alternating with horseradish root, garlic and bay leaves.
- In one quart mason jar, combine hot water and salt and shake well to dissolve the salt.
- Cool salt water to room temperature, add raw apple cider vinegar and sauerkraut juice, if using. This is brine.
- Pour brine over the green peas leaving 3-4 inches of space between the lid and top of the brine, cover with a cabbage leaf, and place a fermenting weight on top.
- Keep at room temperature for 3-4 days, until peas change color from bright green to 'cooked' green and the brine turns cloudy. At that point, transfer the peas into refrigerator. I keep them in the fridge for about a week before I start eating them.
Notes
- Peas tend to float while fermenting, make sure your cabbage leaf is big enough to cover all the peas, or use a couple of leaves.
- If you notice slimy liquid in your ferment - it's okay, just means fermentation is not complete. Slime is complex polysaccharides formed by Leuconostoc, one of the lactic bacteria that proliferate early on in the fermentation process.
- The flavor of pickling spices like black peppercorns, mustard seeds and red peppers goes really well with fermented peas; the only reason I don't use them is because my kids don't like to bite into them.
- Like most fermented vegetables, peas get stinky during the process. If you keep the jar tightly closed for a few days, then when you open it - you will get a big whiff of 'smelly toots'. If that bothers you, store the peas in the fridge longer, eventually the funny smell goes away completely, and you just have tangy and pleasantly sour aroma.