Dilly Beans are truly wonderful. They are pickled green beans. I'd never had
them until I moved to Western Massachusetts in 1982. A friend there taught
me how to make them and my whole family was hooked. You can use this same
recipe to make pickled asparagus which is truly awesome.
Dilly Beans
1. Wash beans thoroughly, drain and cut into lengths to fit the jars. You
can leave the stem as on as handles to pull them from the jar for eating.
2. Pack in each clean hot pint canning jar:
1/4 tsp crushed hot red pepper
1/2 tsp whole mustard seed or pickling spice
1 head fresh dill or 1 tsp dill seed
1 clove fresh garlic
Green beans packed as tightly as possible.
(For quarts just double these amounts.)
3. Combine:
2 C water
2 C white vinegar
1/4 C pickling salt
and heat to boiling.
(This amount should handle 4 pints.)
4. Pour boiling liquid over beans filling to 1/2 inch of the top of
the jar.
5. Seal jars with sterilized lids and clean bands.
6. Process in boiling water bath canner for 5 minutes (count processing time
as soon as water returns to boiling).
7. Remove jars with tongs and set jars upright, several inches apart, to
cool.
8. Allow 2 weeks for proper blending of flavors before eating.
Note: 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of green beans equals 4 pts of dilly beans. The
amount of salt can be reduced some if desired with no ill effects
whatsoever.
This is an old Yankee Recipe from an old Yankee friend, George Naughton of
Shutesbury, Massachusetts.
