by Amy Neurohr
We all know we need to eat our vegetables, and I don’t mind eating my veggies every day, but I prefer them to be pickled — beets, cucumbers, peppers, and especially green beans! Last week, I was fortunate enough to already have a surplus of green beans in my garden. By the time I was done picking, I had over 3 pounds in my reused Walmart grocery bag — the perfect amount to make a batch of pickled Dilly Beans! As you can tell by the name, these beans get pickled with dill, but there is also garlic and crushed red pepper to complete the trifecta of yumminess! I got my recipe from my favorite canning recipe book, “The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving.”
And I’ll be honest. I don’t follow the recipe 100 percent. Instead of adding 1.5 tsp. of crushed red pepper to the brine, I add 1 tsp. crushed red pepper to each jar and skip the red pepper in the brine. Give it a try! These dilly beans are a crowd-hit at BBQs and a great addition to a Bloody Mary!
Dilly Beans
Ingredients
- 3.5 lb. fresh green or yellow beans (5-6” long)
- 5 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 2 cups water
- 1/3 cup Ball Salt for Pickling & Preserving
- 1.5 tsp dried crushed red pepper
- 12 fresh dill sprigs
- 6 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
Instructions
- Wash beans, trim stem ends, and cut into 4” lengths. Combine vinegar and the next 3 ingredients in a 3-quart stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Place 2 dill sprigs and 1 crushed garlic clove into a hot jar. Pack whole beans tightly into jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid over beans, leaving ½ inch headspace. Add ¼ tsp Ball Pickle Crisp to jar if desired. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
- Process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let the jars stand for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.
Amy is the Administrative Specialist in the NDFB Bismarck office. She is also an avid gardener.