Garlicky Lacto-Fermented Snap Peas Snack
Garlicky, crunchy, tangy, with that fizzy-fermented goodness, these lacto-fermented snap peas are the healthy and addictive snack you can’t get enough of. I love to eat them plain, or with a sandwich (like a pickle), or dip them in garlic hummus. However you eat them, once you start you won’t want to stop! These fermented snap peas only take a few basic ingredients- snap peas, garlic, salt, water, and importantly, time.
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Why Eat Fermented Foods?
Humans have been eating fermented foods basically forever- it’s an easy preservation technique, and it’s delicious and healthy. But as a rise of knowledge about bacteria and sterilization took place, so did a fear of making living, growing food, and home fermentation has started to dwindle from our diets. But in reality, getting sick from fermented products isn’t very common. As long as you create the right conditions, you should feel pretty safe.
My favorite aspect of fermentation is the magic (or I guess science) of it all. You take a simple ingredient- snap peas- and just put it on the shelf in a little salt water. Over the next few days, unseen bacteria get to work, altering the taste and texture of your peas, and the product you are left with is quite different from it’s original form. And all it really took from you is putting it on a shelf and walking away. It opens up a whole new world of creative food possibilities.
One of the biggest reasons to make and eat fermented foods however are health related. Fermented foods go to work in your gut, supporting and strengthening the bacteria found there. The results of a health microbiome could be huge- some research suggests benefits from healthier digestion and weight management to decreased levels of depression and tooth cavities. There is still more research to be done to truly understand the importance of fermented foods, but so far it looks promising!
Lacto- vs. Lactose
As a vegan, I see a word starting with “Lact” and my guard immediately goes up- I assume it’s going to have something to do with dairy, or lactose. But there’s actually a second meaning for “lacto”, other than relating to milk. It’s short for lactobacillus, a family of bacteria that create lactic acid. So yes, lacto-fermentation is totally vegan, no need to worry!
Helpful Fermentation Tools
- Mason jar: You need a mason jar, or some other type of air-tight jar to ferment in. You need to keep the area contained, to make sure you’re not opening it up for all sorts of stuff to grow. Since lacto-fermentation is anaerobic (doesn’t need air), you’ll be all set.
- Airlock lids: This is an optional one- I recently bought a set of silicon airlock lids, but I’ve made plenty of batches without one. As the peas ferment, they produce a small amount of carbon dioxide, which over time builds up in the container. An airlock lid will release the pressure by letting a little of that gas out, without letting anything else in. But you can also just “burp” the jars, or unscrew the lids once a day. These snap peas don’t produce much C02, so you may not really even need to do that. But better safe than sorry!
- Weights: I use a glass weight to hold down my ferments. It stops the peas from rising up above the brine, which would give an opportunity for undesirable bacteria to grow on them. If you don’t want to purchase weights specifically for fermentation, try this list of DIY options!
Looking for Dips? Try one of these!
- Vegan Dip with Roasted Peppers and Pumpkin Seeds
- Thai Red Curry Sweet Potato Dip
- High-Protein Vegan French Onion Dip
- Vegan Fondue with Caramelized Onions and Ale
- Seasonal Vegan Spinach and Garlic Scape Pesto
- Super-Food Vegan Seed Pâté
Making Lacto-Fermented Snap Peas
Credit where credit is due, I didn’t exactly think of this recipe myself- in fact, I outright stole it. Lacto-fermented snap peas came around after a conversation I had with my little sister, where she mentioned that she had made some. And sisters being sisters, I decided that I could “borrow” the idea. When your sister is a food blogger, your food ideas just aren’t safe.
Making these lacto-fermented snap peas is very simple. Fill a clean, sterilized jar with lightly smashed garlic and snap peas, as snuggly as possible, and leave enough room at the top to add a weight (see above for help finding the right weight). Mix a 2% brine (which is about 2 cups of water to 2 tsp. salt), and pour it over the peas so it reaches to the top of the weight. The salty water is great for the lactobacillus, and also helps to keep bad bacteria at bay. Let it ferment for about 5 days, making sure the peas stay submerged- remember, if it’s in brine, all is fine. After 4-5 days, take one out and give it a taste. You may want to ferment a little longer, or you might be ready to eat. If so, place the jar in the fridge and store there in brine until you’re ready to eat.
Garlicky Lacto-Fermented Snap Peas Snack
Ingredients
- 12 oz. Sugar Snap Peas (you can also use snow peas)
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
- 2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Place the garlic at the bottom of one clean, sterilized quart mason jar. Add the snap peas, packing them tightly side by side- you should be able to fit nearly all of the 12 ounces inside. Add a glass weight on top.
- Combine the salt with 2 cups of warm water, stirring to dissolve. Pour the water over the snap peas, so that it covers all of the peas. Add a lid, or an airlock system, and screw tightly shut.
- Let sit at room temperature. If you aren’t using an airlock system, make sure to unscrew the lid and let the air escape once a day. Let the peas ferment for 4-5 days, tasting one after 4 days. You want them to be tangy, but still crisp. After they are fully fermented, store in the fridge and consume within a week or so.
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