What cucumbers do for pickles, string beans do for pickled green beans! Showcasing a tangy bite that transforms green beans into something completely different. Pickled green beans use fresh green and yellow beans from the garden or farmer's market. The beans are then soaked in a hot brine made of vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. The brine is then poured into jars filled with spices and beans. It's a quick and easy dilly bean recipe!
If you are looking for a pickled green bean recipe that uses canning as the preservation method, this isn't it. Skip the hot water bath and the entire canning process. However, if you are looking for a quick way to make crisp pickled green beans that keeps for a month in the refrigerator, this is it! This recipe is also a low FODMAP for anyone who needs a safe pickled green bean option!
Jump to:
Dilly Bean Ingredients
- Fresh Green Beans - I love using both yellow and green beans. They have a beautiful color combination!
- Red Pepper Flakes - Adds the spice and kick everyone loves.
- Peppercorns - Adds another version of spice.
- Fresh Sprigs of Dill - I picked this from a local farm stand. My car smelled like dill all day long.
- White Vinegar - Use white vinegar for a classic crisp bite.
- Water - A vital part of the hot brine mixture.
- Kosher Salt - Salt is needed in anything pickled.
- Sugar - To add just a bit of sweetness.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions. Selected ingredients are based on current serving sizes measured by the Monash FODMAP App at the time of publishing. As always, follow your gut and modify as needed.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Wash your beans very well. Remove any that have spots on them. Trim off the stem end. If you want to trim both ends, that is ok too.
Pour ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes and whole peppercorns into each jar. Add a sprig or two of fresh dill to each jar too.
This recipe will require you to have two pint jars. I love to use mason jars. However, if you want to reuse a jelly jar or a spaghetti sauce jar feel free to do so! You will not be pressure-canning these green bean pickles, so any jar you want to reuse will work. Just make sure they have been cleaned in hot soapy water or the dishwasher.
Trim off the stem ends of the fresh green beans.
Stuff the washed and trimmed green beans into the jars. Turning the jar on its side is a great way to make sure you get as many beans in the jar as possible. It is sort of like Tetris but with beans.
In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Cook on medium heat until it boils. Stirring to be sure the salt and sugar fully dissolve.
Using a canning funnel, pour half of the brine into each jar. With the pickling brine, cover the beans completely. Add the jar lid and allow the beans to sit for thirty minutes on the countertop-place jars in the refrigerator.
Allow the beans to sit for at least 24 hours before you try them. This will allow the brine to do its job. Homemade dilly beans will have the best flavor the longer they sit.
Variations of Dilly Beans
- Vinegar Options - For different flavors, try different vinegars. Great options include apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar, even rice vinegar would be a great option.
- Spicy - Add red chili flakes or cayenne pepper. Add a fresh jalapeno to the jar.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Mustard Seeds - Replace the whole peppercorns with mustard seeds.
- Bean Options - Any pole bean will work. Yellow beans or purple beans - they are fun to pick because they are so easy to spot on the plants.
Low FODMAP Notes
Most pickled green bean recipes would include garlic. If you are not on a low FODMAP diet or can tolerate fructans, add a sliced garlic clove to the jars when adding the other spices.
Likewise, red onions can also be found in a dilly bean recipe. If you can tolerate fructans and enjoy pickled onions, add them when you add the fresh beans. Slice the onions thin so the hot brine can do its job.
Storage
Pickled green beans should be kept in the refrigerator at all times. They have not been canned to be safely preserved to store without refrigeration. I would not recommend freezing pickled beans.
Meal Planning
Dilly beans are a perfect addition to a Bloody Mary! Replace the pickle with dilly beans. Also, pickled beans make a wonderful addition to a charcuterie board. Creating simple charcuterie boards in the warm summer months is a great way to get dinner done quickly. They also make a great snack when you need a little something before dinner is ready.
Add them as a side to sloppy joe's instead of pickles. It is such a fun way to eat green beans fresh from the garden!
FAQs
No. It is best to either use Kosher salt or canning salt for pickling. Table salt has iodine in it and can cause odd color changes.
Yes, you can. Because you are not using a boiling water bath canner, that requires a two-part lid in order to seal properly, a plastic cover will work. This is only because the pickled beans are stored in the refrigerator and not on a shelf. If you are using a traditional canning recipe, you must use a new sealing lid, and jars designed for canning, and complete the processing time.
Recipe
Quick Refrigerator Pickled Green Beans (Dilly Beans)
Equipment
- Jars
Ingredients
- 1 pound Fresh Green Beans -any color combination
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Whole Peppercorns
- 2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Dill
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 1 cup Water
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons White Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Wash beans and trim off the stem ends.
- Wash and dry two pint jars. Pour ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and whole peppercorns into each jar. Add a sprig or two of fresh dill to each jar too.
- Add the washed and trimmed green beans into the jars. Turning the jar on its side is a great way to make sure you get as many beans in the jar as possible.
- In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Cook on medium heat until it boils. Stirring to be sure the salt and sugar fully dissolve.
- Using a canning funnel, pour half of the brine into each jar. Covering the beans entirely with the pickling brine. Add the jar lid and allow the beans to sit for thirty minutes on the countertop-place jars in the refrigerator. Allow the beans to sit for at least 24 hours before you try them.
- Store the pickled beans in the refrigerator and enjoy for up to one month.
Leave a Reply