Easy Pickled Green Beans Recipe for Water Bath Canning

Snap into Summer: Pickled Green Beans

The vibrant colors and crisp crunch of summer’s green and yellow wax beans are a delight. But what if you could capture that fresh flavor and enjoy it long after the season fades? With a few simple steps and the right canning supplies you can! These pickled beans are a fantastic addition to salads, served as a side, charcuterie boards, or enjoyed straight from the jar. Pickled green beans are often called “dilly beans.” That’s all thanks to the star of the show – good ol’ dill! Its unmistakable flavor shines through in every crunchy bite, making “dilly” the perfect, easygoing way to describe ’em.

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Dilly Beans – Pickled Green Beans

Yields: Approximately 6 pint jars

Prep time: 20 minutes

Processing time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs green and/or yellow wax beans trimmed and cut into jar-length pieces (about 4 inches)
• 3 ¾ cups vinegar at least 5% acidity
• 3 ¾ cups water
• ⅓ cup pickling and preserving salt
• 6 cloves garlic crushed or thinly sliced
• 6 sprigs of fresh dill

Instructions

Prep Your Produce & Jars:

1. Wash the green and wax beans thoroughly under cold running water. Drain them well.
2. Trim the ends off the beans and cut them into pieces approximately 4 inches long, ensuring they will fit comfortably in your pint jars with a ½ inch headspace.
3. Peel the garlic cloves and either crush them slightly or slice them thinly.

Prepare Your Canning Equipment:

1. Fill your water bath canne halfway with water and place it on the stove over medium heat. You want the water to be simmering when you add the filled jars.

2. Wash your canning jars in hot, soapy water and rinse them thoroughly. To keep them hot and prevent breakage when filled with hot brine, place the clean jars in the simmering water in your canner until you are ready to use them.

3. Wash the canning lids in warm, soapy water and rinse them. Set the lids aside in a clean place. You do not need to simmer modern canning lids. Keep the canning rings clean and nearby.

Cook the Brine:

1. In a large, non-reactive saucepan (like stainless steel or enamel), combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt.
2. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring continuously until the salt is completely dissolved.

Pack the Jars:

1. Using a jar lifter, carefully remove a hot jar from the simmering water and place it on a heat-resistant surface.

2. Place 1 crushed or sliced garlic clove and 1 sprig of fresh dill into the bottom of the hot jar.
3. Pack the trimmed and cut green and wax beans tightly into the jar, standing them upright if possible, leaving a ½ inch headspace (the space between the top of the beans and the rim of the jar).

Fill and Seal the Jars:

1. Carefully ladle the hot brine into the jar over the beans, maintaining the ½ inch headspace.
2. Use a bubble remover tool or a non-metallic spatula to gently slide down the inside of the jar to release any trapped air bubbles. Re-adjust the headspace if necessary by adding more brine.
3. Wipe the rim of the jar thoroughly with a clean, damp cloth to ensure a good seal.
4. Center a clean canning lid on the jar rim.
5. Screw on a canning ring until it is fingertip tight (not too loose, not too tight).

Process in a Boiling Water Canner:

1. Using the jar lifter, carefully place the filled and sealed jar into the simmering water in the canner. Ensure the jars are standing upright and are not touching each other.

2. Add more hot water to the canner if needed so that the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars.
3. Bring the water in the canner to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
4. Once a rolling boil is reached, process the pint jars for 15 minutes. Important: Adjust processing time for your altitude. Refer to reliable canning resources for altitude adjustments.
5. After the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the canner.
6. Let the jars sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. This gradual cooling helps prevent siphoning.

Cool and Check the Seals:

1. Carefully remove the jars from the canner using the jar lifter and place them on a clean kitchen towel-lined surface, leaving at least one inch of space between the jars. Avoid tilting or inverting the jars.

2. Let the jars cool completely at room temperature for 12-24 hours. Do not re-tighten the rings if they are loose.

3. After the jars have cooled, check the seals. The center of the lid should be indented and should not flex up and down when pressed. If a jar did not seal, you can either reprocess it with a new lid within 24 hours or store it in the refrigerator and use the pickled beans within a few weeks.

Store and Enjoy!

1. Wipe down the sealed jars and store them in a cool, dark, and dry place. Properly canned and sealed pickled beans can last for up to a year.

Enjoy the satisfying crunch and tangy flavor of your homemade pickled green and wax beans. Use them however you might use pickles or relish. Chop them up and add to egg salad, potato salad. Top a sandwich with them or garnish a Bloody Mary with pickled green beans. Share your canning successes with us in the comments below!