Dilly Green Beans! Delish!!!
If you have never eaten pickled green beans you are in for a real treat! Dilly beans are a crunchy, tart, salty, spicy, healthy, addicting snack. They are filled with flavor and make a great accompaniment to sandwiches, salads, or eaten on their own.
Pickled green beans can be found in grocery stores but they are pricey, starting at $7.99 and going up to $10.00 for a 12 ounce jar and they are never as good as homemade.
If you are making these for kids, you may want to use the smaller amount of spices. (Just don't leave out the red pepper flakes entirely.) The spicier version is intense! You could use fresh dill heads, but the dry dill seed works just fine, and takes up less space in the jar.
Dilly Green Beans (pickled)
(West Union Gardens)
INGREDIENTS:
4 lbs. green beans
1/2 C. pickling salt
5 C. white vinegar
5 C. water
1/4 to 1 tsp. red pepper flakes per jar
3-4 peppercorns per jar
1 clove garlic per jar
1/2 to 1 tsp. dill seed per jar
1 sprig of fresh dill leaf per jar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
· Measure and place the red pepper flakes, mustard seed, garlic and dill to each jar
· Trim the vine-end of green beans to fit lengthwise into pint jar but leave the dark green curled tail, to fit lengthwise into pint jars leaving 1/2‐inch of headspace. (Place the curled ends upwards towards the lid).
· Combine salt, vinegar and water in a large saucepot. Bring to boil. Carefully ladle hot liquid over the beans, leaving ¼‐inch headspace. Remove air bubbles.
· Wipe the jar rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
· Allow at least 3 weeks for the flavors to develop before serving.
