Broccoli and Bean Sprouts in Green Tea Brine

Certain foods have been shown to have anticancer activity. This is expertly explained in the popular book, Anticancer – a New Way of Life, by David Servan-Schreiber M.D., PhD. (Viking Press). Most cruciferous plants, such as broccoli, have been tested and shown to destroy cancer at the cellular level. Fermenting vegetables is another way to release phytonutrients and boost the healing nature of your diet.  This recipe, Broccoli and Bean Sprouts, does a great job at that. Broccoli is considered a superfood due to its rich supply of phytonutrients. In particular, testing has shown anticancer benefits in one of its nutrients, sulforaphane.

Perfect Pickler® has been developing recipes to promote at-home fermenting for aiding both healthy and recovering diets for over 10 years. Harnessing the power of microbes to pre-digest food with powerful enzymes through fermentation is yet another way to help in a therapeutic diet you can make at home. Enjoy this healthy and delicious Broccoli and Bean Sprouts in Green Tea Brine with only a few ingredients. You’ll be amazed at the complexity of flavors and textures from bean sprouts and slaw. NEW! For an additional anti-cancer boost, let’s use green tea as the brine base. Green tea also contains a powerful anticancer component: catechins. Green tea adds a subtle astringent taste to the recipe. Combining fermentation with targeted superfoods is another way to make homemade health in a pickle—the Perfect Pickler® way. Let’s put these grab-n-go ingredients into a ferment for a super quick and tasty pickle!

This recipe make one quart.

– Recipe by Bill Hettig

Ingredients for Broccoli and Bean Sprouts:

• 16 ounces of chopped broccoli.
• 1 cup of mixed bean sprouts or mung bean sprouts.
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias.
• 1 tablespoon of a spice blend of your choice: Pickling Spice, Herbes de Provence, Bouquet Garni, ect.
• 1 tablespoon of Celtic Sea Salt or other premium brand for the brine.
• 2 cups of spring water.
• 2 green tea bags.

Directions for Broccoli and Bean Sprouts:

1. Make 2 cups of green tea by steeping 2 tea bags in boiled water for about 10 minutes.  Squeeze bags into tea then discard.
2. Rinse the chopped broccoli, sprouts, and then drain.
3. Place the broccoli and sprouts in a bowl.  Add the scallions and spice blend to the bowl and then toss.
4. Pack mixture into a clean 1 quart jar, gently tamping down as you go until about 2 inches from the jar lip.
5. Mix your 1 tablespoon of salt with your 2 cups of green tea to make your brine.
6. Pour your brine over the vegetables in the jar until about 1 inch from the jar lip.
7. Use some sort of weighty object to hold the Broccoli and Bean Sprouts under the brine solution. Be sure to place the jar in your sink as you do this as there is sure to be spillage. We sell our brine overflow cup as a weight here: Brine “Catch” Cup – Wide Mouth
8. Remove the cup and wipe any debris on the lip of the cup and the jar, then put the cup back in. Install a Lid Gasket inside a Wide Mouth Fermenter Lid. Tighten the lid on until its snug.
9. Add tap water to a ClearView Airlock to the max line. Now gently insert the airlock into the hole of the fermenter lid until snug. Make sure not to push too deeply into the lid. As the fermentation happens, the water should move back and forth, and bubbles should move through the airlock, this is correct and indicates a tight seal.
10. Write down the date you began fermentation on the lid using a Lid Marking Pen. After 4 days, check to see if the Broccoli and Bean Sprouts are sour enough for you. If they are not, just add a day and re-check.

Enjoy your Broccoli and Bean Sprouts in Green Tea Brine!  For even better and more delectable recipes, check out our Fermentation Recipe Booklet, where you will find many recipes, tips and tricks to brine pickling, and so much more!