My grandmother kept a tidy little vegetable garden outside her New England home. While she did a decent job of growing summer squash, cucumbers, and some tomatoes, her best results always came out of her snap bean plants.
Ingredients
1 pound green, yellow, or purple string beans
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
2 sprigs fresh dill
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons pickling salt
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Colander
1 wide-mouth quart or 2 wide-mouth pint jars with lids
Measuring cups and spoons
Canning funnel, optional
Instructions
Wash 1 wide-mouth quart or 2 wide-mouth pint canning jars, lids, and rings in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set aside to dry or dry completely by hand.
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Rinse 1 pound green, yellow, or purple string beans under cool running water and drain well. Trim the stem ends from the beans and halve them if using 2 pint-sized jars. Leave them whole if using a quart jar.
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Place 2 peeled garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds in the jar(s).
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Place the jar(s) on its side. Place 2 fresh dill sprigs down first, then stack the beans in the jar, orienting them so that they will stand up straight when the jar stands upright. Pack the jar(s) as tightly as possible. Stand the jars upright again.
Depiction of the instructions in Instructions step 4
Bring 1 cup distilled white vinegar, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons pickling salt to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Pour the brine over the green beans, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You may not use all the brine.
Depiction of the instructions in Instructions step 5
Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Top off with more pickling brine if needed. Place the lids over the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
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Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.
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