You know the ditty “beans, beans, they’re good for your heart?” Well… There are many reasons why beans are known to cause flatulence, in large part because they’re not so digestible due to their phytic acid, among other things.
However, I like serving legumes because they’re cheap proteins, and my family enjoys hummus… so I wanted to figure out how to make hummus that would taste good, be easy on the budget, and… wouldn’t come with the standard side effects. To do that, I decided to combine two different methods that I learned reduce the amount of phytic acid in things and therefore increase their digestibility- sprouting, and fermenting.
So this is what I came up with. Sprouted, fermented hummus.
Mmmm, it’s delicious.
Yup, no side effects. A hit with my kids. And yes, frugal too!
Added bonus? Fermentation has two main benefits- not only does it make the food more digestible, but it also adds a healthy dose of probiotics, beneficial bacterias and yeasts, into your body.
And sprouting legumes increases their amount, so you get a larger quantity of food for the same amount of money.
Drawbacks? These things take time and a few days advanced preparations, so no making it on the spot to eat immediately.
It’s a worthwhile trade off, in my opinion. Especially since the lacto-fermentation helps preserve the hummus and it will therefore last a longer time in the refrigerator than regular homemade hummus, even without any added preservatives. So make it, and enjoy at your convenience.
I find lacto-fermented condiments often are lacto-fermented with the assistance of whey, which is dairy and makes the condiment no good for vegans or dairy free people, so this recipe is completely vegan, and doable even with no special ingredients.
Homemade Lacto-Fermented Sprouted Hummus Recipe- Probiotic and More Digestible! (Non Dairy)
Ingredients:
5 cups cooked sprouted chickpeas (or canned chickpeas)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Tahini- optional
Instructions:
1. If you don’t already have cooked, sprouted chickpeas, this is how you sprout them. Soak your chickpeas in water for 6-12 hours, then strain them and rinse them. Every 12 hours, rinse and strain them, leaving them on the counter in between straining. Once it sprouts a tail, it’s ready. Depending on the weather, this can take anywhere from 24 hours until 72 hours. And you can stop sprouting it the second it sprouts a tail, or you can wait till the tail is about a centimeter long (or less- don’t go longer than that). Once sprouted, boil it without salt for a few hours in a pot or about an hour in a pressure cooker or a full day in a crock pot- until fully soft. I usually sprout and cook a few pounds at a time and freeze it in 2 cup portions (approximately the size of a can of chickpeas).
Alternatively, if you don’t want to use sprouted chickpeas- you can use canned chickpeas or regular boiled chickpeas for this.
2. Puree your chickpeas and garlic cloves with a little bit of the water (not the water used for boiling) until it is as smooth as you can get it, then add a little more water at a time until you have the entire 1 1/2 cups and it is as smooth as your machine will get it.
3. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon cumin, then put in a large jar (I use a mason jar). Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over the top, and then top with two tablespoons of olive oil. (This is to prevent molding.)
4. Close the jar and keep it on the counter for up to a few days, depending on the weather. Since this is lacto-fermented, and lacto-fermentation actually causes bubbles of carbon dioxide in the mixture (a by product of the fermentation process) you can actually tell from the outside of the jar if it is ready, by seeing how many air bubbles/pockets are visible. It will actually be fluffy when ready. Taste to confirm- it should end up being a little tangy, and taste like ready chummus.
5. Mix in the salt and olive oil at the top, and if you like, mix in some tahini paste to taste, but I usually don’t do that… and serve, or put in the refrigerator. Garnish with more olive oil and paprika to serve, if desired.
Enjoy!
P.S. If you don’t want to lacto-ferment, because the fermentation process makes you nervous, just add lemon juice to taste to this, and skip the fermentation part.
Have you ever made homemade hummus before? Ever heard of lacto-fermented hummus, made it, or eaten it before? Does it seem like something you’d try? Do you think you’d make it with sprouted chickpeas or non sprouted chickpeas?
Guess I'm late to the party here. My question is, how is it possible that sprouted garbanzo beans will lacto-ferment after cooking? Doesn't cooking kill the bacteria that would cause the beans to ferment?
There are bacteria in the air and everywhere. In this case, there's fresh garlic that wasn't cooked that would help it ferment.
There are bacteria in the air and everywhere. In this case, there's fresh garlic that wasn't cooked that would help it ferment.
You can freeze it.
You can freeze it.
Lactic acid fermentation, made from bacteria that produce lactic acid, are lacto-fermented. Another name is "salt fermented".
Lactic acid fermentation, made from bacteria that produce lactic acid, are lacto-fermented. Another name is "salt fermented".
Back again to report on my latest attempt at your method for lacto-fermented hummus!
It works great!!
Despite my initial skepticism that cooked garbanzos would destroy the necessary bacteria, my latest batch of lacto-fermented sprouted garbanzo beans turned out great! The tartness of the lacto bacteria eliminates the need to use lemon or lime juice in the hummus. The 4 cloves of garlic gave it a good garlic taste. I added tahini after the fact. Going forward, I'll be experimenting with adding it up front.
All in all, thanks for this recipe. 90+% of all recipes on the net say you have to use whey to get the ferment going.
They do not know what they're talking about! You can stick to the basic principles of lacto-fermentation and produce a great tasting lacto-fermented hummus.
Thanks!
Back again to report on my latest attempt at your method for lacto-fermented hummus!
It works great!!
Despite my initial skepticism that cooked garbanzos would destroy the necessary bacteria, my latest batch of lacto-fermented sprouted garbanzo beans turned out great! The tartness of the lacto bacteria eliminates the need to use lemon or lime juice in the hummus. The 4 cloves of garlic gave it a good garlic taste. I added tahini after the fact. Going forward, I'll be experimenting with adding it up front.
All in all, thanks for this recipe. 90+% of all recipes on the net say you have to use whey to get the ferment going.
They do not know what they're talking about! You can stick to the basic principles of lacto-fermentation and produce a great tasting lacto-fermented hummus.
Thanks!
Im confused, whats the difference between hummus being spoilt (when kept out for too long) and fermented hummus. In this case can we say hummus can never go bad? If so then what about the stories of bacterias that are not good that will be produced when hummus is kept out
Im confused, whats the difference between hummus being spoilt (when kept out for too long) and fermented hummus. In this case can we say hummus can never go bad? If so then what about the stories of bacterias that are not good that will be produced when hummus is kept out
When you add enough salt to something, but not too much, it provides the right environment for good bacteria to grow, which makes it ferment instead of spoiling.
When you add enough salt to something, but not too much, it provides the right environment for good bacteria to grow, which makes it ferment instead of spoiling.
I used to add lactose to the hummus with some kefir and ginger to start fermentation ..