Pickled Green Beans

Green beans or string beans are used in almost all types of cuisines, irrespective of whether the dish is vegetarian or non-vegetarian. But, this versatile vegetable is available only in specific growing seasons. Pickled green beans are an inexpensive way to enjoy this nutrient enriched beans, even during off-season. You can purchase these in different flavors, either sweet or spicy, from food stores. But, what about applying your culinary skills and preparing them on your own? Yes, you can easily pickle fresh green beans and use them all the year-long.

How to Make Pickled Green Beans?

To make the best pickled green beans, purchase fresh and immature beans that are light green and crunchy or else, harvest green beans if you have them in your garden. Rinse and wash green beans thoroughly under running water and allow water to drain properly. After this, you can remove strings and trim the ends of the beans with a sharp kitchen knife. For canning and preserving pickled green beans, you need to sterilize tall jars with airtight lids (½ pint or 1 pint size) by dipping them in hot water. Using a clean towel, dry the jars and keep aside. With these preparations, you can start pickling green beans. Following are some methods to pickle green beans:

Recipe #1

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh green beans (cleaned and trimmed)
• 1 tablespoon pickling spices
• 3 tablespoons regular sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 3 cups water
• Sterilized jars with lids

Directions

Arrange the beans in the canning jars (standing with their ends); make sure you add enough beans to pack the pickle jar and keep it aside. Boil vinegar and water solution in a large saucepan. Add pickling spices, sugar and salt. Stir well until they dissolve in the vinegar solution. You can use a kitchen funnel to pour this vinegar mixture in the jar packed with green beans. Continue to fill the jar till the level reaches the neck of the jar or ½ an inch below the rim. Put on the lid and marinate in the refrigerator. This pickle tastes best after 2 weeks.

Recipe #2

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh green beans
• 4 teaspoons dill seeds (crushed)
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 2 cups water

Directions

Pour some water in a large saucepan and bring it to a boiling temperature. Add beans and cook for 5 minutes. Drain cooking water and keep the partly cooked beans in ice water. Remove beans and place them in a large non-metal dish. Take a saucepan and combine together the ingredients - dill seeds, garlic, mustard, sugar, pepper, salt, vinegar and water. Bring this mixture to a boil and pour it over the beans. Cover and keep in refrigerator for about 8 hours, while stirring in between. Serve this alongside the main course.

Recipe #3

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds green beans (cleaned and trimmed)
• 8 fresh dill sprigs
• 4 small dried hot red chilies
• 8 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
• 1½ tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups water

Directions

In a large saucepan, boil white vinegar and water solution. Add sugar and salt, and wait till they dissolve completely in the solution. Remove this mixture from heat. Then, add garlic slices, dill and red chilies. Take green beans in a large bowl. To this, pour vinegar mixture and mix the ingredients. Cover lid and refrigerate for one week to bring out the best flavor. You can also preserve this hot pickled green beans in airtight jars. First, separate beans equally in the jars and pour vinegar solution on top of them. Put on the lid and preserve in refrigerator.

Indulge in pickling fresh green beans during your free time and preserve some jars in the refrigerator for future use. You can serve these pickled green beans alone as snacks or add in mixed vegetable salads. This way, provide green beans nutrition to your family members, without worrying much about the growing season.