If you’re growing beans this season or find some fresh at the farmers’ market, save a trayful to turn into these easy quick pickled dilly beans. This recipe doesn’t require any canning, just a refrigerator and some time.
Dilly beans are enjoyed as you would eat any other pickle, including on the side of a sandwich or cut up into a salad. We tend to snack on them straight from the jar and use them as a fun garnish in a Bloody Mary.
Yield: 1 pint
Ingredients
Main
- 1/2 lb. fresh green beans (use a mix of colors if you’d like, just make sure they are tender)
- 1 clove of garlic, halved
- 1 tsp. dill seeds or 1 sprig of fresh dill
- To give them a kick of heat, add a sliced hot pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
Brine
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup 5 percent distilled white vinegar
- 1 tbsp. canning/pickling salt
Read more: Try these quick-pickled refrigerator onions for a delicious treat!
Preparation
Wash the beans and discard any soft, bruised or damaged beans. Trim off both ends. Lay the beans next to the pint jar to measure length. Cut the beans so that they sit under the shoulder of the jar (about 4 inches).
Pack the jar full of beans vertically, with beans standing on end. Fit as many in as you can without bruising or damaging the beans. Add in the garlic and dill prior to completely filling. To spice this recipe up, add in a halved hot pepper, such as a jalapeño, or add in 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes.
In a nonreactive pan, bring the brine ingredients to a simmer until the salt is dissolved.
Ladle the warm brine over the beans until they are completely covered with brine by at least a 1/4 inch.
Allow the warm jar of dilly beans to cool on your counter until it reaches room temperature. Wipe rim with a dampened towel to remove any brine and add the canning lid and screw on the ring. Allow the beans to pickle for at least 48 hours before tasting.
The longer your dilly beans pickle, the more flavor they will have. These pickles have the best flavor and texture if enjoyed within two months.
Read more: Make a delicious batch of homemade sauerkraut!
Notes
Always used freshly washed supplies when preserving food. Also, be sure that your food prep space has also been thoroughly cleaned before beginning.
Avoid using tough-skinned or overgrown beans, as they will continue to be tough even after being pickled.
Get creative with this recipe by adding in a few rings of sliced onions, five whole black peppercorns or a bay leaf.
This recipe has been adapted from Can It & Ferment It by, Stephanie Thurow, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
