Dilled Green Beans

Today encompassed the other part of a big garden. Putting by, as my grandmother used to call it. I picked about 12 pounds of green beans yesterday and I had skipped a day so some were more mature than I like for just eating in a quick saute. The best thing, in my humble opinion, is to pickle the bigger ones and I really like pickled green beans. We managed 12 pints of beans from about 5 pounds of the beans and the rest we blanched and are freezing.

Here is the recipe my family uses for making "Dilly Beans" as we call them.

4 wide mouthed pint canning cars with rings and lids
2 lbs of green beans tipped and strung as necessary
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cloves of garlic peeled
4 largish sprigs of dill
2 1/2 cups of water
2 1/2 cups of white vinegar
1/4 cup of kosher salt

Bring the water, vinegar and salt to a boil. Have your water bath canner at the boil. Soak your jars in the boiling water for a couple of minutes to sterilize and heat your ring and lids in a small pan of water. Pack the beans lengthwise into hot pint jars (wide mouthed are best) leaving about a quarter inch of head space. Make sure you get them in tight. To each pint add 1/4 tsp cayenne, sprig of dill and a garlic clove. Fill the jars to within a 1/4 inch of the top with the hot vinegar/water/salt mixture. Seal and process in the hot water bath for 10 minutes.

These pickles need to rest for a few weeks before you eat them but they are great on a relish tray but I just eat them out of the jar and use them just like pickles. I've still got four pints left from last year's canning that will hold me over for a month or so until these are ripe.