When I first tasted lacto-fermented beans some years ago, I immediately thought of bean sandwiches, a childhood favorite. First, I will give you the recipe, then I will continue with my musings
The Recipe for Bean Sandwiches with Lacto Fermented Pinto Beans
The first step is to create the lacto-fermented beans. There are many sources for recipes, but I share mine if you care to use it. (It makes 6 plus pints.)
- Soak three cups of pinto beans in pure water for eight hours.
- Cook the beans until tender. (The amount of time will vary according to your altitude.)
- Mash them with a pastry blender, potato masher, or fork. Use enough liquid to make them into a paste like thick cream.
- Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Add three tablespoons of salt and one capsule of Spectrabiotic (for inoculant). Stir well.
- Put the beans into pint jars and 1/2 pint jars. Cap them with good lids.
- Let the jars sit at room temperature for three days.
- Refrigerate. They keep well.
Now for the sandwiches. Prepare some naturally leavened bread according to your preference. Spread some lacto-fermented bean paste onto the bread and enjoy.
Musings
Every summer, until I was old enough to be working in the fields, I would participate in Daily Vacation Bible School. That was ok if the teacher presented anything of substance. But there were two things that could trump even lack of interesting material. First, would my cousin Wayne Rector be present? If he were there, we always had interesting things to talk about and think of. The second trump was bean sandwiches. I could endure any amount of triviality –just shut it out and think of something more compelling – if I got to have bean sandwiches for sack lunch.
The filling was cooked brown beans mashed up with cucumber pickles, pickle juice, and some mustard. And please, spread it thickly.
But those were imitation bean sandwiches and I didn’t know it. I now have had the real thing, both in understanding the Bible and in my culinary delight. Bean sandwiches made from lacto-fermented beans (with lacto-fermented vegetables as a garnish if you choose) are the substance of that shadow of my childhood.
So prepare yourself a bean sandwich or two, and, if you care to, have a go at the gospel of John at the same time. For me, when I grasped the significance of living food to the body, I then had a foundation for understanding the significance of The Bread of Life. Tell me the results of your own experiments.
Ellis Hein
If you have questions about making lacto-fermented beans, feel free to fill out my contact form below. I will respond as soon as possible.
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