Pickled Green Beans

Pickled Green Beans

Green Beans are cold packed into the jars. 

They do not need to presoak in brine.

Pickles are processed with boiling water only, no pressure cooker is needed.

Equipment:

     Pot large enough to hold jars plus 1” of water at the top. 

     Canning jars – I generally use quarts but any size will work.

     Canning lids (new) and screw tops

Ingredients:

     Water

     White Vinegar

     Pickling Non-Iodized Salt (iodine adds a metallic taste)

     Fresh Hot Peppers

     Fresh Dill - seeds and weed ("leaves" are called dill weed)

     Fresh green beans - best to pick the beans early in the morning and pickle the same day

 

Make brine in the following ratio:

     3 cups water

     3 cups white vinegar

     2 TBLsp pickling salt

Heat pickling brine just to boil.  Keep warm.

Use exact measurements for the brine.  Too much or too little acid or salt can cause the beans to wrinkle or slough their outer skin.

 

Clean jars and lids.  Thoroughly wash in hot soapy water or run through a dishwasher.  
Inspect jars and lids.  Discard any jars that have chips or cracks.  Jars and screw bands can be reused but use only new sealing lids.

Pick and wash beans.  Break off stem end.

Pack warm jars very snugly with:

     1 or 2 peppers – whole or sliced

     1 or 2 sprigs of dill seed plus some feathery fronds, called 'dill weed'

     Beans – whole or in ~1” pieces

 

 The season for fresh dill is very short.  I harvest all our dill when the seeds are young before any bugs or diseases get to it.  I wash and trim the dill and freeze it until the bean harvest catches up.

Generally I half fill the jars with beans then put the peppers on the bottom before filling with beans and then put the dill on the top.  But it makes no difference to the pickles whatever order you put the ingredients into the jars.

Beans come in various sizes and shapes so I usually use several size jars - tall pints, short pints, 1.5 pints and quarts.  I lay out a couple handfuls of beans and place them in the jar size that fits them best.  

 

If you only have small jars, either trim the ends so the beans are shorter or cut/break them into pieces.

 

                   Fill jars to within ½ inch with warm brine.  
                   If the jars are not packed tightly, you'll need extra brine.

Wipe rim of jars with a clean, damp rag.
The rims must be completely clean so that the jar top seals well with the canning lid.

 Set clean, warm lid on and hold in place with a screw band.  Screw firmly but not tightly.

Place warm jars into canning pot.  If you do not have a jar rack, place several screw bands on the bottom of your pot for the jars to rest on.  If the jars are in direct contact with the metal pot bottom, they are more likely to break.

Cover the warm jars with warm water with 1” of water over the top of the jars.

Bring to a full boil and boil for 20 minutes.

Remove jars from the water and set on a towel or wood surface.  If you put the hot jars on a cold countertop, they might break.

Cool until room temperature.  Remove screw lids.

Test for seal.  The top of lid should be popped inwards and you should be able to lift the jar by grasping the sealing lid without it popping off. 

If any jar is not sealed, store the jar in the refrigerator and eat soon.

Wash all the jars and screw lids thoroughly with warm soapy water before storing.  This washing will make sure there is nothing organic near the seal that might support bacterial growth and interfere with the seal over time.  Screw lids are not needed for storing the jars. 

Label the jars with the date.  I use a sharpie on the lid.  Home processed foods generally should be eaten within one year.  Discard food that is older.