I know, I know. Everyone’s doing it. Dilly beans, dilly beans, dilly beans…who can complain about these garden stalwarts?
Look, it’s a massacre over here. Late season blight has wreaked havoc on all 16 of our tomato plants. I can’t even show you the gruesome truth via photos as every last one of those poor little suckers had to be torn from the ground, bagged and hauled off.
This is a recurring and devastating site around much of the northeast this summer. It’s not pretty folks. But at least I got a hill a beans…
Green beans, I must admit, I have never really thought much about them. They’ve just always been, you know, there. Being there (here) has taken on a whole new meaning in my garden this year between the weather and the blight…what’s a pickler to do??? Make dillys!
Spicy Pickled Green Beans
Adapted from Well Preserved
Approximately 3 pounds green beans, topped & tailed
5 cups water
5 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
4 stalks of fresh dill
1/4 cup sea salt
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
Four fresh hot chili peppers, sliced into strips
4 quart or liter canning jars
Directions
1. Wash jars in hot soapy water or dishwasher.
2. Place jars in canning pot and turn on heat. See canning 101Â for detailed steps on the hot water bath canning method.
3. Combine water and vinegar in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and keep at a simmer.
4. Take all 4 jars out of water and place upright on a kitchen counter.
5. In each jar place: 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 garlic clove, 1 red hot chili pepper, 1 dill stalk, and then divide the beans equally and squeeze them in there as tight as you can.
6. Pour the simmering water/vinegar mixture into each jar and fill to 1/4 inch under the rim (that’s called headspace). You can take a chopstick or an upside down spoon and slide it in there to release any air bubbles you see. After air bubbles are released you might need to pour some more liquid in to bring it back up to 1/4 inch headspace.
7. Put lids on jars and place in canning pot. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes.
Once they are out of boiling water bath, be sure to let them sit untouched for at least 12 hours.
And here’s the worst part of this whole thing – these, and most ‘fresh’ canned pickles – meaning pickles with added vinegar – are better if left a few weeks before opening. This allows the flavors to develop. But that’s ok, cause me & beans, we got a lotta catching up to do…