Dilled Green Beans

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 4 lbs fresh green beans or 4 lbs yellow beans, about
• 3 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 3 cups bottled water
• 3 tablespoons pickling salt or 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 bunches fresh dill, rinsed and stemmed (1/2 bunch per jar)
• 6 -12 cloves garlic, peeled and halved (1 or 2 per jar)
• 6 baby carrots, halved lengthwise (2 halves per jar)
• 6 small serrano chilies, rinsed and stemmed (1 whole chile per jar)
• 1 medium onion, cut into 6 1/4 inch slices (1 slice per jar)
• 1 medium lemon, cut in 6 1/8 inch slices and seeded (1 slice per jar)
• 6 medium bay leaves or 12 small bay leaves (1 or 2 per jar)
• 36 whole black peppercorns (6 per jar)
• 18 whole green peppercorns (3 per jar)
• 18 whole pink peppercorns (3 per jar, pretty) (optional)
• 6 whole juniper berries (1 per jar) (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon dill seed

Recipe

• 1 if desired, just use 12 black peppercorns, and omit pink and green peppercorns and/or juniper berries.
• 2 this is much prettier, though, and tastes better.
• 3 sterilize 6 wide-mouth pint canning jars in boiling water in processing pot, which will be used later for processing beans.
• 4 while water is heating, wash beans, trim ends, and cut in 4" lengths.
• 5 slice onions, lemons, and carrots, and peel garlic.
• 6 set aside all of the dry spices in 6 small piles, ready go in jars.
• 7 in a 3-quart saucepan, combine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar, and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and maintain at a low simmer while packing the jars.
• 8 remove jars from water bath, drain, and place an onion slice, dry spices, and bay leaves in the bottom of each jar.
• 9 pack green beans, serrano chile, carrot halves, and garlic tightly into jar, place fresh dill on top, tucking in so none touches the rim.
• 10 top with a lemon slice to hold down dill, and repeat with all remaining jars, leaving ¼” headspace (if ingredients are cut to specifications, it all fits).
• 11 fill jars with boiling vinegar mixture, leaving ¼” headspace.
• 12 make sure all of the dill is tucked in, wipe the rims, and immediately seal with sterilized lids and rings.
• 13 place in hot water bath over high heat, bring to a boil, and process for 10 minutes after water returns to a boil.
• 14 remove from water bath, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• 15 check for seal by pressing down on lids.
• 16 if they are down and don’t pop in and out, the seal is good.
• 17 if seal is not good, reprocess with new lids to try for a seal, or store jars that did not seal in refrigerator until used.
• 18 allow to set for at least 3 weeks before using.
• 19 makes 6 pints.