Dilly Beans (Dill Pickled Green Beans)

Have you ever had Dilly Beans? I was just introduced to Dilly Beans AKA dill pickled green beans a few months ago and I’ve found that a lot of people have never heard of them either! But if you love fresh pickles that have a good crunch and lots of garlic flavor, and you like green beans, you’re going to LOVE these. It’s the perfect marriage between those two things!

When I make fresh refrigerator dill pickles, I use this same recipe (obviously just substituting green beans for cucumbers). So when my mother-in-law recently tried the dill pickles I made, she noted how much the brine and flavors reminded her of the dilly beans that her grandmother used to make when she was younger. I had never had dilly beans before but it sounded intriguing so I tried them out and they came out so tasty!

Mason Jar Size

I think I used a pint sized mason jar this time when I made them, but I’ve used a quart sized one in the past as well. Both were good, the major difference is that if you use a quart sized jar, you will had more boiling water at the end so your brine will be slightly less concentrated.

Salt

For this recipe, I noted 1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt. I LOVE salt, but I know that some people tend to be more sensitive to salt than others, so if you are sensitive to salt, I would suggest using a quart jar and doing 1 tablespoon of salt. If you love pickles that are saltier, using a pint sized jar (for a slightly more concentrated brine) and/or doing closer to 2 tablespoons of salt might be more up your alley!

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There’s no canning required for this recipe as it’s similar to a quick refrigerator pickle recipe. I think you can enjoy these in as little as a few hours after making, but they taste best after about 24 hours in the fridge so that the beans can soften just a tiny bit and soak up that brine.

I think they would be fine in your fridge for about a week, but when I make them, they never make it that long before I eat them all!

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Dilly Beans (Dill Pickled Green Beans)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh green beans rinsed and trimmed
• 2 tbsp peppercorns
• 1-2 tbsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves fresh garlic peeled and smashed
• 1 handful fresh dill
• 1 tbsp honey
• red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
• 1 cups white vinegar
• 1/2-1 cups boiling water (enough to top off jar)

Instructions

1. To a jar, pack in the trimmed green beans, dill, and garlic

2. Once those things are packed in, add your peppercorns, salt, honey, and red pepper flakes (if desired)

3. cover with 1 cup of white vinegar and then fill up remainder of jar with boiling water until everything is covered (likely about 1/2-1 cup of boiling water)

4. Cover jar with tight fitting lid and shake jar well enough so that salt and honey dissolve and everything is well incorporated

5. Let sit out on a counter for an hour and then refrigerate. You can enjoy them in about 4 hours, but I think they are best after about 24 hours of being able to soak in the brine!

Recipe Notes

You can optionally blanch the green beans in some boiling water for a couple of minutes before packing them into the jar. This will make the dilly beans slightly softer and less crunchy/crisp