Dilly Dilly Dilly Beans

Last weekend, a couple of my cousins dropped by and we ended up opening one of the last jars of dilly beans from last year. I made them last year at the end of bean season because Rich liked some that we had purchased, but balked at the price. So I looked up a few recipes, consulted the list of ingredients on the bottle we bought and made my own.

The first batch was...spotty. I bought some more mature beans than I would have liked and ended up with two types. One worked really well. The other was...terrible. Really gross, actually. Mealy and icky.

So, this year, I opted to use French beans (haricot vert) instead of green beans (blue lake). The French beans are much narrower, crisper, and just prettier. I found some pretty inexpensive, and bought four pounds.

Dilly beans involves fresh dill, fresh beans, garlic, spices, vinegar, salt, and water. That's pretty much it. And a water bath for the canning part. Oh, and fresh peppers if you want some heat.

I added another variable into the mix.



I bought and dried some lovely chilies last fall and have been grinding them for use in various thing. They have lasted much longer than I expected. I think, based on their heat and size that they may have been cayenne peppers, but who knows. I just think they're pretty. They were fun to have strung up - I threaded them through the stems and hung them up by my old kitchen window to dry.

Anyway, the beans. I trim the stem end at a diagonal so they look pretty and leave the tail end. And then there is the stacking...sigh...that takes forever. But it's worth it. I always put in some dill and some garlic and the spices on the bottom and then start stacking the beans with a whole jalapeno or serrano chile along with the beans. Then jam as many in as I can without smushing or snapping too many beans. I used pint and quart jars so that I could make some spicy ones and not so spicy ones. Then when it's all done, fill the jars with a boiled combination of vinegar, water and salt.

Then insert into a water bath for ten minutes and set aside to seal. The jars will pop on their own as they cool. All of mine popped, so it was all good.

On a lark, since I picked up some beautiful fresh asparagus at the farmer's market yesterday along with the dill, I pickled a jar of spicy asparagus, too.

And voila!



I also picked up one bunch of what I was told was turnip tops. They had some flowers, but more importantly and oddly, they had these little...bumpy things. That tasted like turnips. Almost like the seed pods. They were interesting...so I canned them :)



They look like alien blobs.



Especially compared to the very orderly looking beans.

I put the "leftover" jar of beans in the fridge last night to chill so I could try them. I prefer them to be cold since that makes them crisper. I tried them. Pretty good. Spicer than I had anticipated which makes me wary of the larger jars which have more of the homemade chili powder than the little ones...but maybe ratios will work in my favor?

Last night, I went upstairs to bed a little early and crashed. This morning, I came downstairs and discovered an odd looking jar. Putting it next to the other jars made it look even more distinctive...which of these jars is not like the others?



Yep, Rich got into the dilly beans. And finished off the leftover jar. Sigh. I suppose I should put another on in the fridge. But that might just encourage him.

Here is my tweaked recipe.

Dilly Beans

2 pounds beans (I doubled)
fresh dill
fresh jalapenos or serrano peppers
fresh garlic
whole mustard seed (1/4 tsp per pint, 1/2 tsp per quart)
whole peppercorns (1/4 tsp per pint, 1/2 tsp per quart)
whole coriander seed (1/4 tsp per pint, 1/2 tsp per quart)
ground chile pepper (1/4 tsp per pint, 1/2 tsp per quart)
white vinegar
water
canning salt (I used kosher salt, the ratio of Morton kosher salt to canning salt is 1 cup canning salt = 1 cup + 2 Tsp kosher salt. This is specific to Morton kosher salt.)

Prep the jars (sterilize) and fill with a good hunk of dill (lots if you like it) spices and sliced and whole garlic. (I like to eat sliced pickled garlic, so I slice them. If using only whole, I'd give them a solid whack with the flat side of a knife to open up the garlic.)

Then place the beans in the jars, selecting longer ones for the taller jars so that there is some space above the tops of the beans.

Boil 2 1/2 cups water with 2 1/2 cups of vinegar and 1/4 cup canning salt (1/4 cup + 1/2 Tbs kosher salt). Pour the hot liquid over the tops of the beans.

Put covers and twist caps on and process for ten minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove and let cool.

These can be eaten as soon as the jars cool - they are thin and pickled immediately.