Saving Some For Later

Canning season always manages to sneak up quietly on me, starting off with a few batches of jam, and then all of a sudden it's full-on, with days full of processing all sorts of in-season produce! The last few days our green and yellow wax beans have been going crazy. That's a really, really good thing, though, so I'm careful to not complain about the extra work those veggies bring me. It was so nice to have a freezer full last winter, and the Dilly Beans were a major hit too. I had never pickled beans before, but we all agreed that this year I'd definitely have to process even more, especially since I'd experimented a little with the flavorings and we now have a pretty good idea of what's tasty and what's, well, tastier.

As I was pickling the jars shown, I used the brine recipe in the Ball Blue Book of Canning. It's a pretty good guide, although it (understandably) hugs the side of over-caution on the recipes. They suggest doing a hot pack, where you bring the beans to a boil before packing, and while you can get a few extra in the jars this way, it's extremely unpleasant, burning your fingers and hands and making the whole process much slower. I prefer to do a raw pack, holding the beans in the palm of one hand and then pushing them into the jar, adding however many more I can stuff in. Cutting them up would allow you to pack more in also, but I like the look of the beans left whole. I found some hearty organic, locally grown red peppers at the Farmers' Market this morning and tossed in a few slices for color.

Dilly Beans
The ratio of vinegar to water to salt in the brine is very important for food safety guidelines, but feel free to experiment with various spices (mustard seeds could be interesting too!).

4 1/2 tbsp pickling or canning salt (kosher salt will work too, but not regular table salt)
4 1/2 cups white vinegar
4 1/2 cups water
about 3 1/2-4 lbs fresh beans, green, yellow, or a combination
2 red peppers, sliced into strips
9 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 head of dill (the flowery part)
whole peppercorns
red pepper flakes, optional
8 or 9 sterilized pint wide-mouth canning jars, lids, and rings

Snap the blossom end off each bean and rinse them all well to remove any debris.

Bring the water, vinegar, and salt to a boil. Place the hot jars on a towel. To each one, add: 1 clove of garlic, 2 sprigs of dill (each little flower portion on the head is a sprig), and 2 or 3 peppercorns. If you like a little zing, try adding 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (my husband LOVED this variation, but my kids liked them better "plain.").

Gather a large handful of beans and two or three pepper slices. Push into a jar (it should be a tight fit). Try to push a few more in to fill up any gaps. Repeat until all the jars have been stuffed. (Don't worry if the beans are as tall as the rim, just so long as they don't over lap or stick out to prevent the rubber from sealing. The beans will shrink as they're heated.)

Ladle the boiling hot pickling liquid to about 1/2 inch from the rim (it's still OK if the beans are above the liquid). Screw on the lid and place in the boiling water bath. Repeat with the remaining jars, placing each one in the boiling water as it's filled. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 15 minutes. Remove jars to a towel to cool completely, label, and store up to one year. Make sure to not open the jars for a few weeks to allow the flavors to blend. (Sometimes the beans look a little shriveled when they come out of the canner. In a few days or so they'll puff back up as they absorb the brine more fully.)