Categories: Food

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!

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!

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

To a jar, pack in the trimmed green beans, dill, and garlic
Once those things are packed in, add your peppercorns, salt, honey, and red pepper flakes (if desired)
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)
Cover jar with tight fitting lid and shake jar well enough so that salt and honey dissolve and everything is well incorporated
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

Sara Ann