String beans are one of my favorite vegetables around. My idea of a perfect easy summer meal is a tangle of lightly steamed string beans, dressed with a bit of butter and salt, along side some scrambled eggs and a sliced tomato. A couple of summers ago, I ate that for dinner three or four times a week for at least a month. Of course, that was before I had to think of Scott’s likes and dislikes when making dinner and sadly, he is a string bean hater. So my perfect little meal has been relegated to a once-in-a-while, solo experience (however, it’s a trade-off I happily make for love).
Thing is, I still find myself buying string beans like they’re a four times a week vegetable, which becomes a problem when trying to keep the refrigerator eco-system balanced. That is where the dilly bean comes in. It’s a gentle, zippy little pickle that preserves my green beans for months to come (well, if they last that long) and maintains the dinnertime peace.
I use the basic pickled green bean recipe from So Easy to Preserve (the food preservation bible out of the University of Georgia), altering it only to crank up the heat a little bit with some extra cayenne. One thing to note about string beans. They are perfectly safe to can in a boiling water bath when you’re making pickles out of them. They are NOT safe to can without the brine unless you’re using a pressure canner. One of the few documented cases of botulism that occurred last year was because a family ate some poorly preserved green beans. So if you want to preserve your beans but you don’t want to pickle them, either get yourself a pressure canner or blanch and freeze them.
Enough safety warnings, on to the recipe…
Pickled Green Beans (aka Dilly Beans)
adapted from So Easy to Preserve
2 pounds green beans, trimmed to fit your jars (I had to trim mine a bit more after taking the photo you see above)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used nearly two, but tread carefully here if you’re not a spice person)
4 teaspoons dill seed (not dill weed)
4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups white vinegar (5%)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup pickling salt (use a bit more if you’ve only got kosher)
Prep your canning pot by inserting a rack to keep your jars off the bottom of the pot, place pint jars in (wide-mouth pints work best here. A 12 ounce jelly jar is also nice, as it’s a bit taller than a standard pint and makes for less trimming) and fill it with water. Bring to a boil to sterilize while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Wash and trim your beans so that they fit in your jar. If you have particularly long beans, your best bet is to cut them in half, although by doing so, you do lose the visual appeal of having all the beans standing at attending.
Combine vinegar, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. While it’s heating up, pack your beans into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace (distance between the tops of the beans and the rim of the jar). To each jar, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon dill seeds.
Pour the boiling brine over the beans, making sure to leave that 1/2 inch headspace. Use a plastic knife to remove air bubbles from jar by running it around the interior of the jar. Wipe the rims and apply the lids (which have been sitting in a small saucepan of water at a mere simmer for at least ten minutes in order to soften the sealing compound) and rings.
Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath (remember that you don’t start timing until the pot has come to a roiling boil).
These beans want to hang out for a least two weeks before eating, to thoroughly develop their flavor.
Browse Timeline
Comments ( 39 )
[...] that’s half the fun of it all. The other half is that I get to try my hand at things like Dilly Beans, Jacques’ Scallops, and Bittman’s Chocolate Souffle . So send those comments and [...]
Q&A « Bon Appetit Hon added these pithy words on Aug 14 09 at 10:06 am[...] canning supplies. Jars for $7.99 and a can-grasper (whaddya call those things?) for $3.75. I made pickled green beens courtesy of Marisa over at Food In Jars, as well as some more blackberry jam. I’m on a roll [...]
Playing Catch Up « Naturally Frugal added these pithy words on Aug 26 09 at 3:19 pm[...] first pickling adventure involved green beans and Food In Jars. Marisa inspired me to make some Dilly Beans, and I can’t wait to try them. Right now they’re sitting in their juices, pickling [...]
What the Dilly, yo? « Naturally Frugal added these pithy words on Aug 27 09 at 4:40 pm[...] and into a bowl they went. They were quite a sight. I had just finished making a couple jars of Dilly Beans and had about a cup of the green bean trimming so I cooked those in salted boiling water for 3-4 [...]
Leftovers I’ll actually eat … Panzanella (or Tuscan Bread Salad) « STRESSCAKE added these pithy words on Aug 30 09 at 4:03 pm[...] bought the beans, dill, garlic, and carrots at the farmer’s market and followed recipes from here and here. I used fresh dill instead of seeds because it’s what I had (and I like the way it [...]
Food for Now & Later « In Oak Park added these pithy words on Jul 04 10 at 5:42 pmWould these be ok to make even without the boiling water bath? More like a refrigerator pickle? I’ve had great success with pickled carrots and think green beans would be a nice change.
1. Wendi added these pithy words on
Jul 22 09 at
9:08 am
I so thoroughly relate to the cooking for love thing. For the first couple of years of our cohabitation, I would always whip up meat and potatoes dishes for my husband. Only recently have I really started to move more into foods that I love, that he’ll at least eat, like your lovely sounding string bean meal.
2. MrsCatbird added these pithy words on
Jul 22 09 at
12:54 pm
My mother used to make these!! They were always my favourite!!
3. Jenn FL added these pithy words on
Jul 22 09 at
1:28 pm
Wendi, these make a fine refrigerator pickle, if you don’t want to process them in the boiling water. If that’s the case, you don’t even have to heat the brine. Just make sure you give them at least a few days in the fridge to really soak up the brine.
MrsCatbird, the things we do for love!
Jenn FL, you should make a batch!
4. Marisa added these pithy words on
Jul 22 09 at
1:54 pm
I have some pretty dumb questions about canning, and I’m wondering if you have a photo essay somewhere, kind of a basic how-to. If not, may I suggest one? I think getting a visual would help me a lot. My main questions (today, anyway) are: how far up the side of the canning jars does the water go; and why a plastic knife to let out the air? I assume it’s a metal + vinegar = bad thing, but am not sure.
Also, how necessary is a rack, really? I have a deep pot but don’t want to explode something if I put jars in there and it’s a bad idea.
Thanks for the post – I’ve got a photocopy of a hand-written dilly bean recipe that I’ve wanted to try but have been too unsure about the basics of canning.
Perhaps it’ll be my first attempt!
Beth, I don’t have a photo-essay like you’re talking about, but I’ve been meaning to do one. I will try to get it done soon, thanks for the reminder! -Marisa
5. bethh added these pithy words on
Jul 22 09 at
2:07 pm
I made dilly beans for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I’ve never had them so I’m really excited to see how they taste.
6. melissa added these pithy words on
Jul 22 09 at
2:56 pm
In the picture it looks like there is herby dill in the jars. Lefthand jar, bottom side, and the righthand jar on the left.
The recipe specifically says not to use the herby dill..
Am I missing something?
7. Dan Rubenfield added these pithy words on
Jul 23 09 at
5:17 pm
Sorry for the confusion, Dan. I learned after I made my pickles that it was not recommended to use herby dill. I didn’t have a chance to go back and make another batch, but I wanted to give the most up-to-date information I had.
8. Marisa added these pithy words on
Jul 23 09 at
5:43 pm
Aha! Perfect. I shall make these forthright!
9. Dan Rubenfield added these pithy words on
Jul 23 09 at
9:11 pm
Thank you for this! My garden is full of green beans — and each time I have a plethora of something, you seem to have an appropriate recipe. Thanks for reading my mind.
10. Dianne added these pithy words on
Jul 27 09 at
11:07 am
Marisa, I wonder what I could have done wrong with the recipe. My brine ended up being overly salty even though I only used 1/4 cup. Other than that, these are lovely. The texture is crispy and snappy.
11. Wendi added these pithy words on
Jul 31 09 at
10:12 am
One thing I recently learned about these pickles is that if you’re planning on making them to be refrigerator pickles, make sure to reduce the salt. Without the hot water process, they can be overly salty. Just a word to the wise!
12. Marisa added these pithy words on
Jul 31 09 at
11:02 am
13. Danie, herby dill breaks down more quickly than dill seeds or heads, which is why it isn’t recommended. However, if you plan on using your dilly beans right away, you can get away with using the frondy stuff.
14. Marisa added these pithy words on
Aug 03 09 at
12:30 pm
Made my first batch. The finished beans look shriveled. Is that right or did I do something wrong. They were very fresh beans and I only processed for 5 mins. Thanks.
15. Susan Butterworth added these pithy words on
Aug 04 09 at
10:01 am
They will look cooked but will crunch like fresh. Let em soak for a couple of weeks and give em a try
16. D.W.Curran added these pithy words on
Aug 08 09 at
11:47 pm
Do you think there would be any problem if I used yellow beans??
17. Wendy D. added these pithy words on
Aug 10 09 at
5:22 pm
I just finish making 7 jars of yellow dilly beans. I’ve been doing this for years and they are a big hit with all my friends and family. They can’t get enough. But I make them different. I use some different spices. I do use fresh yellow beans from my garden and I use fresh dill heads from my garden. The dill heads look very pretty in the jar. I was just on the site because I have been putting my beans in a salted ice water brine for about an hour before I put them into the jars. I do this to maintain the crispness of the bean. But I was wonder if they would no be crisper just directly out of my garden without the salted ice water bath?
18. Yvonne W added these pithy words on
Aug 13 09 at
5:18 pm
Marisa, i dont know if you got your answers, but 1.the water (actualy brine for dilly beans) goes 1/2inch from rim of jar thats called headspace which the vegetable also goes up to that point as well. 2.The plastic knife (for removing air bubbles is just a safety thing, as you could remotely possibly crack the jar if too vigorous in jamming it down the side of jar with a metal knife ( i did it once) 3. I also believe the rack in pot is important so the jars do not crack from direct contact. It is possible to make a rack by taking enoug extra canning jar lids to line the bottom of the pot placing them right side up(more support, but if the water is bubbling too much they may flip over? also i’ve heard of people laying a folded thick kitchen towel in bottom. Hope this helps you out, good luck…….
19. Lindabelle added these pithy words on
Aug 14 09 at
8:07 am
I saw this same recipe in the Ball Blue Book, but it says to process for 10 minutes. I am confused!
21. Michele added these pithy words on
Aug 16 09 at
12:19 pm
Michele, I just double-checked and in So Easy to Preserve, the processing time is five minutes. It’s a resource I trust, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, follow the processing time in the Ball Blue Book. However, nothing goes into So Easy to Preserve without being thoroughly tested, so it’s a reliable source.
22. Marisa added these pithy words on
Aug 16 09 at
2:53 pm
is it okay to raw pack the beans? or is hot pack better for longer preservation? i don’t think that i can eat all those beans in three months time…
23. elicia added these pithy words on
Aug 19 09 at
4:26 pm
Elicia, I always raw pack the beans, and I find that they remain perfect for about 6-9 months. They’re still edible after that point, but the texture does start to degrade a little.
24. Marisa added these pithy words on
Aug 19 09 at
4:28 pm
I made a recipe similair to this, only in each jar i added 1 tsp of crushed red pepper. If you throw 2-3 beans a little of the juice into a bloody mary, its the best thing!!
28. Kathryn added these pithy words on
Jun 15 10 at
4:17 pm
How do you keep the beans from floating above the brine level in the jar? Maybe I’m not packing them tight enough?
29. Katie added these pithy words on
Jul 04 10 at
3:40 pm
A quick question. I just used a different recipe to can dilly beans. I subbed kosher salt for pickling salt. So my brine was 2 cups water, 2 cups vinegar and 134 grams kosher salt (maybe a cup?). I think it was nearly double the amount of pickling salt the recipe called for to compensate for the fact that kosher salt is larger grained. I processed the jars for 5 minutes. But now the beans appear to be puckered, with little old-man wrinkles. Too much salt? Too much heat?
31. Cassie added these pithy words on
Jul 06 10 at
1:55 pm
DOH! I just realized I totally screwed up. The recipe called for 4 cups vinegar, 4 cups water, and 1/2 cup pickling salt. I halved the vinegar and water, but didn’t halve the salt. I was assuming 1/2 cup pickling salt equals 134 grams (something I read on another site). So I should have added half that. Instead I added the full amount. That might explain the puckered beans.
Still, if anyone has solid advice about subbing Diamond Crystal kosher salt for pickling salt, I’d be keen on hearing it. I’m not sure I trust the /2 cup = 134 grams measure. Can anyone confirm or offer advice? Pickling salt is impossible to find in my neighborhood.
32. Cassie added these pithy words on
Jul 06 10 at
2:15 pm
Need to know if I did something wrong?? I followed your directions and after i took them out of the canner the beans were at the top of the jar and most of the liquid was on the bottom, ERRRR??????
33. Sara added these pithy words on
Jul 10 10 at
7:34 pm
I used this recipe and made green bean and wax bean versions. They look beautiful. Can’t wait to taste them. Thanks for the recipe.
34. Kathy added these pithy words on
Aug 02 10 at
5:06 pm
Put up 12 jars of dilly beans last weekend. In half, I substituted tarragon (based on a Sunset Magazine recipe) and tried them for the 1st time last night – terrific! Possible that the leaves will disintegrate over time, but I don’t think the jars will last that long!
35. Stacy added these pithy words on
Aug 04 10 at
12:25 pm
Just made four pints – they look great! I didn’t have cayenne pepper so I subbed a quarter of a jalepeno per jar. It’s going to be hard to wait 2 weeks to sample! One question, I am always left with extra brine mixture when I follow your pickle recipes. Is this bad? Am I over-filling my jars with veggies? I measure ingredients carefully and always measure the headspace.
36. Robin added these pithy words on
Aug 29 10 at
7:41 pm
Robin, there’s always some leftover brine. It’s really hard to write a recipe that gives you the exact right amount of brine because everyone fills their jars a bit differently. Additionally, it’s better to have a bit too much as opposed to too little, as you wouldn’t want to stop mid-canning to make more brine.
37. Marisa added these pithy words on
Aug 30 10 at
12:40 am
Loved making these! Wish the green beans in the finished product were green! Mine turned an Army green — is this normal?
38. Mary Ann added these pithy words on
Sep 02 10 at
12:32 pm
That color change is totally normal. That’s what happens when you cook beans.
39. Marisa added these pithy words on
Sep 02 10 at
12:36 pm
