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…
Ingredients
- 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)
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Adapted from So Easy to Preserve
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[...] helped me put up a batch of garlic dill pickles. Now I’ve worked my way up to pickled peppers, spicy dilly beans, green tomato relish, and, finally this year, jam. Strawberry jam, though not the easiest thing [...]
I just pickled some yellow wax beans,they look kinda wrinkled,where did I go wrong,what causes this?
Thanks!!
Nikki, there’s no way for me to be able to diagnose what may have gone wrong. Sometimes beans do get a little bit puckered in the canning process, so I imagine they’re probably fine.
I have been canning Dilly Green Beans for 20 years. They always look a little wrinkled for a few weeks. Put them away and in a few months they will swell up again and look great! Have patience………
[...] A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide, by Sherri Brooks Vinton. You can also find Dilly Beans at Food In Jars, AllRecipes, and I imagine, countless other places. [...]
Dumb mistake: I used the herb, “Dill”, (from Trader’s Joes) as the dill in my Dilly Beans today. I didn’t read “dill seeds” in the recipe; I didn’t even know there was such a thing until I found this entry tonight on Food in Jars. What do you think they will taste like?
I think your beans will taste fine. The dill you used was the dried leaf from the dill and is a little less potent than the seeds but still dill. I use the dried dill in dill pickles and when that is not availible I use the seeds.
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. I guess we will find out in two weeks!
[...] (and in all of the refrigerator dilly beans I have made), I used fresh dill. But then I read on Food in Jars that fresh dill can break down and become slimy and gunky after a while in the jar, and that’s [...]
[...] In the first batch of processed dill pickles I made, I used fresh dill. But then I read on Food in Jarss that fresh dill can break down and become slimy and gunky after a while in the jar, and that’s [...]
I am looking for a recipe for pickled green beans that uses cinnamon sticks and is a little sweeter – no dill – my grandma used to make them and I can’t find the recipe. Anyone have any ideas?
We added fennel seeds, and about 1/2 t. dried lemon peel plus 2 chinese hot peppers and garlic in each jar. Turned out yummy and a great additional to salad nicoise with the beans, butter lettuce, tuna, hard eggs and tomato. Used some of the brine to make the vinaigrette, and added some fresh chopped fennel leaves (I believe they are a cousin of dill) to bring it together. Thanks for the inspiration!
[...] Source: adapted from Food In Jars [...]
I’ve got a batch of these processing in the boiler right now. We’ll see in a few weeks how they turned out!
[...] help make these pickles a wholly different thing from my standard pickled green bean, I skipped the traditional dill seed and opted for warmer spices like star anise, bay leaf, and red [...]
Hi – I made these pickles last night in 12oz jelly jars. I’m very novice to canning and am wondering if it’s a problem that the beans rose during process above the level of the brine to the point that they’re touching the lid. Are they still safe to eat or should I reprocess? What causes this issue?
Thanks!
[...] (and in all of the refrigerator dilly beans I have made), I used fresh dill. But then I read on Food in Jars that fresh dill can break down and become slimy and gunky after a while in the jar, and that’s [...]
Some of my jars have beans that have bubbles on them. Is this normal? I didn’t notice this the last time I put up a batch….
I made these last night. I wish I could taste them right now! I’ve never had a dilly bean, so I hope I like them. I tried some with extra cayenne, some with tarragon, and some with extra garlic. Mine floated a bit, but I’m not sure how I could have prevented it- I packed those beans in there pretty tight! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Marissa! I love your site and I’m new to canning. I have made a couple of batches of Dilly Beans this year and my family is hooked! My last batch however has tiny bubbles all over the beans. The jars sealed well. Do I need to be worried about these little bubbles? Also if I could bother you with the fact that my salsa, which is kind of thick, did the same thing. Is this a problem? Thanks so much for sharing your canning genius with us all
Don’t worry about the bubbles. They’ll eventually work their way up to the top of the jar.
Hi, I just made these beans yesterday and I put them in the fridge shortly after processing. I have active bubbles and a little bit of foam like they are carbonated. Does this mean they are bad? I checked the seals and they are pretty tight but they all have this. Are they ruined?
Thanks!
If they are bubbling they are fermenting. They’re no good. I have had this happen occasionally with pickles. Toss them or eat them soon. If they stink, definitely toss them. DEFINITELY don’t leave them in there with the rings on, they will burst.
What is the shelf life of these? Can you leave them in the pantry after processing or do they need to be in the fridge?
The reason we can things is so they can be kept on a shelf in the pantry. No refrigeration necessary. They will keep at least a year.
This is the first year I tried canning. Since I’ve learned to cook, my interest in eating food in season and growing my own herbs has increased, so canning has naturally stemmed from that. Plus I remember my grandmother canning when I was little.
I made these dilly beans and the cherry pickles from your web site as the first pickles I ever put up about three weeks ago. Both were easy to do, and about 4 days ago a friend and I tried them. They were great! The beans were crunchy and dill-y, and there was that hint of spice at the end. But they still tasted like green beans, too. I’m not much of a pickle fan but we polished off the whole jar this weekend! Thank you very much for the recipe.
And everyone: it’s OK if your beans float at the top, you used the leafy dill instead of the seed, your beans got a little wrinkled, or they turned a little olive-green. Mine did and they were fine.
I just finished my first canning of dilly beans last week. I used a solution of 2 cups water, 2 cups white vinegar, and only 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.
I boiled my brine and then filled one jar completely with raw green beans and spices with garlic. The second jar was only half filled with beans.
I dropped them jars in a boiling bath with jars ratteling on bottom of pan, 10 minutes total time, I live approx. 400 feet above sea level.
Concerned about botulism because not enough kosher salt?
Opinions anyone?
Michael, do not worry about your beans. Botulism is caused by a lack of acid in a product, not salt. You used plenty of vinegar so your pickles are safe.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=9S8FtZaByW4
This is the recipe that I had use from youtube.
Thanks for the quick response and time, Marisa!
I am about to make another batch following your recipe and will compare tastes in a month or two.
One last question:
My pot is only 1″ taller than my jars, I was just capping the pot and letting some of the boiling water boil out, but believe than jars were covered the whole time? 10 minutes might have been way to long especially at sea level?
This recipe only needs five minutes of processing time if you are under 1,000 feet in elevation. However, processing the beans for longer won’t do any harm. Sounds like at some point you need to get yourself a taller pot, but for now, you should be okay.
I made these in December and opened up the jar last night. THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!! They still had some crunch and reminded me of spicy dill pickles. I can’t wait to put them on a sandwich with provolone and some tasty stone ground mustard. THANK YOU!
These came out wonderful! Almost the same as my Aunt Alice’s recipe. I don’t have access to her recipe so I am trying to recreate it. These were missing a flavor but I have no idea what it is. However, I loved them! I will make them again.
I do need to get better at packing them, they floated a lot!
I am sure that I will get better at it!!
[...] crackers or bread. I put out party picks for the cheese and a jar of my friend Marji’s famous Dilly Beans for a little veggie punctuation. Pairing this summer fare with a bottle of vinho verde completed [...]
Would you recommend using fresh dill if available? It looks so good in the jars with the cucumber.
You can use fresh dill heads, but fresh dill weed doesn’t hold up well in the canning process.
Hi Marisa,
I’ve learned a lot at your site, thank you. I got your dilly beans recipe from Serious Eats where it said to process for 10 min. I noticed the recipe on your web site calls for 5 min. Does it matter? Which time do you recommend?
I recommend the 10 minute processing time.
[...] got the basic recipe from Food In Jars , Marisa McClellen writes very well and has made it her mission to preserve small batches year [...]
Hi Marisa, I made this recipe, processed the jars in a water bath for 10 min., and got good seals on all. The lids “popped” and depressed in the middle as they should. However, I noticed some dried up brine on the outsides of the jars despite the good seals. Are the beans safe to eat? I’m guessing that perhaps I didn’t leave enough headroom when I poured in the brine. Perhaps the leakage occurred before the seals sealed. I plan on making another batch tomorrow and will allow a bit more headroom.
Lynne, don’t worry about a little liquid loss. It often happens during processing, particularly if there are a still bubbles tucked down under the pickles. As long as the seals are good and your liquid level didn’t drop significantly, it’s really no big deal.
I made these today and the beans don’t look very bright, kind of dull like raw beans. Did I not process them them long enough?
[...] found the recipe on this very cool canning blog, Food in Jars. http://www.foodinjars.com/2009/07/dilly-beans/ You might recognize the name, as the author has just come out with a cookbook by the same name. [...]
Why do they float.. did they shrink? I think so
Yes, when you process the beans, the heat of the canning pot cooked them slightly and they shrink a little. That’s why it’s so important to really pack the jars tightly.
I just did a couple of jars, but the brine changed colour. turned a clear brown, isntead of being clear, any ideas why? is this normal? safe?
thanks for the info.
Did you use apple cider vinegar? Or dill weed instead of dill seed? Either could have helped darken the brine.
dill weed….mystery solved! thanks
You can also use a few carrots to “tighten” up the pack in your jars- so your beans won’t float. And, dilly carrots are, in my opinion, even tastier than dilly beans. My family always eats all the carrots first!
I’m not crazy about dill – can I use other herbs or seeds?
They aren’t dilly beans if you don’t use dill.
Just opened my first jar, good but face puckering sour. I might add a little sugar to the brine to mellow it out a bit.
Have you ever canned these in a hot water bath, or do they get to mushy? Thank you.
[...] Provider Beans – Ever tried pickled beans, aka Dilly Beans?? We” they are delicious and easy to make, and it’s something to do with all those [...]
[...] Dilly Beans – Source: Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan [...]
Lids didn’t seal on my dilly beans! Do I need to reprocess?
If all the lids didn’t seal, you should try again with new lids.
Hi Marisa, I recently made your dilly beans and they turned out great. I was wondering if I can use this same recipe for quart jars? I don’t want to trim the beans down and I am not sure if I have to adjust the amount of dill seed or other ingredients. Thank you.
If you can them in quarts, make sure to add five minutes to the processing time. You’ll want to double the spices, since you’re doubling the size of the jars.
[...] Pickle Beans, Eating Richly Dilly Beans, Food in Jars Fast and Easy Pickled Green Beans, Healthy Delicious Share [...]
If the dilly beans do end up floating to the top with a little poking above the brine after processing, is it better to just put them in the fridge? Thanks!
That happens a lot. As long as the seals are good and there isn’t more than about an inch of bean sticking above the brine, they are still safe for pantry storage.
[...] you’re finding you have too many beans, consider canning them. You might like to try Dilly Beans from Marissa McClellan’s canning blog, Food in Jars. Tags: canning, Dilly beans, [...]
Hello! I was wondering if the garlic is necessary for the canning, or if it’s flavor only? I have a friend who is allergic to alliums but loves pickles…
What a great Blog Marisa! I never realized there were so many others of “us” out their. I’ve been doing my NannyO’s recipes for years as a hobby and finally a couple months ago after MUCH encouragement from many others started selling the goodies.
We made our 1st batch of Spicy Dill Green Beans last night… 14pints and will finish another 14pints tonight!
Stu & Davlyn
Hi there,
I am new to reading your blog and so far am really enjoying the recipes. I made these dilly beans today. Following the directions exactly i had a hard time with my beans (which were more hearty and more fully of beans than the ones your pictured). Would you suggest blanching them first? I used a few of the tall jelly jars and I swear there are about 10 beans in each… I didn’t know if blanching would make them more pliable but all just mushy… your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Cholla, it sounds like your beans were too mature for canning. Once they ripen past a certain point, they aren’t that great for this application.
[...] book, the author of Food in Jars has a blog of the same name. It’s fun, and has another dilly been recipe I will be trying ASAP. This entry was posted in Canned things, Jam. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
[...] later. I found the recipe for Dilly Beans from the Food in Jars book, but it is also found on her website. I had a few habanero peppers from the farmer’s market, so instead of using the cayenne [...]
[...] I found a new favorite blog called Food in Jars and she had a recipe for dilly beans. My husband doesn’t like dill, so I just left it out and I will season it when it comes out [...]
This recipe is so easy and so beautiful! I just made it and referenced it on my blog post “How to Pickle”. http://www.positivelymommy.com/adventures-in-pickling-how-to-pickle/