i know, i know. everyone’s doing it.
dilly beans, dilly beans, dilly beans…
who can complain about these garden stalwarts?
look, it’s a massacre over here. late season blight has wreaked havoc on all 16 of our tomato plants. i can’t even show you the gruesome truth via photos as every last one of those poor little suckers had to be torn from the ground, bagged and hauled off.
this is a recurring and devastating site around much of the northeast this summer. it’s not pretty folks. but a least i got a hill a beans…
green beans, i must admit, i have never really thought much about them. they’ve just always been, you know, there.
being there (here) has taken on a whole new meaning in my garden this year between the weather and the blight…what’s a pickler to do???
make dillys!
spicy pickled green beans
adapted from well preserved
approximately 3 pounds green beans, topped & tailed
5 cups water
5 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
4 stalks of fresh dill
1/4 cup sea salt
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
4 fresh hot chili peppers, sliced into strips
4 quart or liter canning jars
1. wash jars in hot soapy water or dishwasher
2. place jars in canning pot and turn on heat. see canning 101 for detailed steps on the hot water bath canning method.
3. combine water and vinegar in a medium sauce pan and bring to the boil. once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and keep at a simmer.
4. take all 4 jars out of water and place upright on a kitchen counter.
5. in each jar place; 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 garlic clove, 1 red hot chili pepper (no not these guys! although, hmmm, they could be cute in a jar, especially anthony…) 1 dill stalk, and then divide the beans equally and squeeze them in there as tight as you can.
6. pour the simmering water/vinegar mixture into each jar and fill to 1/4 inch under the rim (that’s called headspace). you can take a chopstick or an upside down spoon and slide it in there to release any air bubbles you see. after air bubbles are released you might need to pour some more liquid in to bring it back up to 1/4 inch headspace.
7. put lids on jars and place in canning pot. bring to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes.
once they are out of boiling water bath be sure to let them sit untouched for at least 12 hours.
and here’s the worst part of this whole thing – these, and most ‘fresh’ canned pickles – meaning pickles with added vinegar – are better if left a few weeks before opening. this allows the flavors to develop.
but that’s ok, cause me & beans; we got a lotta catching up to do…
 |
I love the idea of something new on the table:) But I have to admit it's your jars that always draw me in at first.I have kept the site from the first time you shared..Geesh they are the cutest.
Your pantry must be beautiful..I laughed at the link to the peppers..never expected!
I love these. The jars really are the cutest thing ever!
I have one problem… I made a pickled beans a couple weeks ago… My beans shrank up. It's like beans, beans, beans and two inches of liquid. Weird? Did I process too long? Thanks for any help/ suggestions!
bailey p-
welcome! hmmm, that's a tough one. my guess is you didn't get the air bubbles out and then once out, add more liquid before you processed. make sure you do that in any pickling process.
la table de nana -
it's those weck jars again!
I just love all the weck jars you use! Makes my plain old Balls look so boring.
It just looked like my beans shrank up… I guess the only way to make sure is to try it again! Thanks for your help!
marisa-
funny you should say that about the weck jars i use, cause one of your posts on your lovely blog made me get all excited about vintage ball jars!
It's funny…everyone laughs at me when I tell them that I love pickled green beans! They don't know what they are missing! Those things are goooood!
I think I know why your beans shrank up (it happened to me last year). Your brine was likely too acidic. If you used pickling vinegar, it is higher in acidity. I made mine again this year and switched to regular strength white vinegar and the beans were not shrivelled.
Hailey, Thanks for the tip! I was using "pickling vinegar". I have gallons of the regular white stuff hanging around becuase that's what my boyfriend uses to kill weeds in our driveway.
Beautiful picture and writing. The nicest site on pickling spicy green beans I have found. Would you mind posting whether you blanche or steam your green beans, or if you just pack them raw? Some recipes suggest that but I don't know why and also whether that kills the nice crunch factor. Thanks!
anonymous – i pack these babies raw. enjoy!
Hi Tigress, this is Anonymous from above, in Vancouver BC. Just opened my first jar of spicy beans made exactly per your recipe. They are divine. Crunchy with a bit of kick. You rock, thank you!