Pickled Dilly Beans

These are my favorite pickles, hands down. It’s been that way since I first started gardening back in 2009. The brine is peppery and savory with just the right amount of sweetness, and the beans, if harvested at the right time and pickled fresh, are perfectly crunchy. We often eat a single jar in one sitting.

I like to eat them straight up as a side dish with burgers or steak, or on a salad (I’ve heard they’re particularly good in Nicoise salad). Sometimes I’ll chop them up and add them to tuna or egg salad, or add them to a charcuterie board. They’re also fantastic in a Bloody Mary. Enjoy!

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Dilly Beans

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

You

• 8-10 sterilized wide-mouth pint or pint-and-a-half, lids, and bands.
• 5 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed to 4 inches long
• 1 small white or red onion, sliced
• Two heads of garlic, cloves peeled and separated
• Whole peppercorns
• Whole mustard seeds
• Dill, dried or fresh
• Pepper flakes or whole dried chiles

Brine

• 5 cups water
• 5 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
• 5 tablespoons non-iodized salt
• 5 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

1. Sterilize your jars and lids, and prepare your ingredients.
2. Divide your onion slices and your garlic cloves evenly between your jars, and place at the bottom. To each jar, add 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon dried pepperflakes (or 1-2 whole dried chiles). If you're using dried dill, add about 1/2 teaspoon per jar. If your dill is fresh, add 1-2 heads per jar, depending on your preference.
3. Pack your jars with your beans, fitting them in as tight as you can over the spices, onion, and garlic.
4. Make the brine by combining the water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a large stock pot. Heat over medium-high to high, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Ladle brine over beans, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Run a thin, non-metallic utensil (like a chopstick) down the inside of the jars to remove air bubbles, and wipe the rims clear with a damp cloth or paper towel. Cover with lids, and secure with bands.
5. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, making sure the water level is over the jars. Remove jars from water and set on a towel-lined tablecloth. Let cool until room temperature. Remove bands, check seals, and store in a cool, dark place for 1-2 months before eating for best results.

Notes

Tips:

• If any of your seals didn't take, you can store those jars in the refrigerator and snack on them periodically to test the progress of the flavor. The'll stay good so long as you've got them refrigerated.
• Using straight beans will help you pack in those beans nice and tight. You can also tilt your jar to the side.
• Make sure your beans are freshly picked. The fresher they are, the tastier and crunchier your dilly beans will be.
• If your beans are long, use wide mouth pint-and-a-half jars rather than pint jars.

Adapted from McCormick

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