Pickled Green Beans
Inside: Learn how to pickle green beans to safely preserve an abundance of green beans on your pantry shelf by water-bath canning.
Preserving green beans is a great way to have homegrown beans all year long. But what if you don’t have a pressure canner?
While you can certainly freeze green beans, I know that by the end of the summer, my freezer is bursting at the seams with homegrown produce.
Green beans require a pressure canner to be properly canned, UNLESS you pickle them. When you use a tested recipe to pickle green beans, they can be safely water-bathed. And you can water bath in any pot that is large enough to fit the jars of green beans with one inch of water to cover them.
Pickled green beans have recently become one of my favorite snacks. But they are also a wonderful addition to a charcuterie board. They are perfect alongside a sandwich instead of cucumber pickles and they are much healthier than potato chips.
Pickled green beans are sometimes called dilly beans. And there are many recipes on the internet for dilly beans.
But instead of just dill or dill and garlic, I prefer the addition of a few other spices to round out the flavor of my beans.
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How to Make Pickled Green Beans
If you would like a printed copy of this recipe, you can find one at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar (Be sure your vinegar is 5% acidity.)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt
- 8 cloves garlic, halved
- 2 Tablespoons pickling spice, store-bought or try my recipe for homemade pickling spice
Instructions:
For a detailed post on water-bath canning, Simply Canning has an excellent tutorial.
- Prepare 5 pint jars, 5 lids, and 5 rings for canning. While this recipe is made for 4 pints, I like to have an extra jar on hand in case I have a few more beans.
- Prepare your boiling water canner or a large pot with a rack in the bottom. Fill the pot about halfway with water. Begin heating the water in the canner.
- Combine apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and pickling salt, in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Keep the mixture just below a boil while proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- Add two cloves of garlic and 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice to each jar. Then add the green beans to each jar, trying to pack them in tightly. The beans shouldn’t stick up higher than 1/2 inch below the top of the jar.
- Pour the brine over one jar. Use a spatula to remove any trapped air in the jar by pressing gently around the sides of the jar. Wipe the top of the jar with a damp cloth to remove any residue. Place the canning lid on the jar and tighten the jar ring down fingertip tight. Add the jar to the simmering water in the canner. Repeat with the remaining jars, adding each jar to the canner as it is filled.
- Be sure the water covers the tops of the jars by at least one inch. If not, add additional hot water to the canner. Place the lid on the canner and bring the water to a boil. Process for 10 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a low boil. (Time starts when the water is up to a boil, not a minute before.)
- After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove the lid carefully, allowing the steam to escape away from you. Leave the jars in the canner for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the jars to a towel-lined counter where they can remain for at least 12 hours undisturbed.
- After 12-24 hours, remove the rings and check the seals on each jar. Wipe the jars clean, label them, and place them in your pantry. These beans need to sit at least 6 weeks to fully develop their flavors.
If you live at a high altitude, you will need to adjust your processing times based on this chart from the Ball website.
Related Posts
- How to grow green beans
- Green bean casserole without cream soup
- Don’t want to pickle your beans? Here’s my tutorial on how to freeze green beans.
Learn how to pickle green beans so you can safely store green beans on your pantry shelf, even if you don't have a pressure canner.
- 2 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar (Be sure your vinegar is 5% acidity.)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt
- 8 cloves garlic, halved
- 2 Tablespoons pickling spice, store bought or homemade
-
Prepare 5 pint jars, 5 lids, and 5 rings for canning. While this recipe is made for 4 pints, I like to keep an extra jar on hand in case I have a few more beans.
-
Prepare your boiling water canner or a large pot with a rack in the bottom. Fill the pot about halfway with water. Begin heating the water in the canner.
-
Combine apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and pickling salt, in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Keep the mixture just below a boil while proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
-
Add two cloves of garlic and 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice to each jar. Then add the green beans to each jar, trying to pack them in tightly. The beans shouldn't stick up higher than 1/2 inch below the top of the jar.
-
Pour the brine over one jar. Use a spatula to remove any trapped air in the jar by pressing gently around the sides of the jar. Wipe the top of the jar with a damp cloth to remove any residue. Place the canning lid on the jar and tighten the jar ring down fingertip tight. Add the jar to the simmering water in the canner. Repeat with the remaining jars, adding each jar to the canner as it is filled.
-
Be sure the water covers the tops of the jars by at least one inch. If not, add additional hot water to the canner. Place the lid on the canner and bring the water to a boil. Process for 10 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a low boil. (Time starts when the water is up to a boil, not a minute before.)
-
After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove the lid carefully, allowing the steam to escape away from you. Leave the jars in the canner for 5 minutes.
-
Transfer the jars to a towel-lined counter where they can remain for at least 12 hours undisturbed.
-
After 12-24 hours, remove the rings and check the seals on each jar. Wipe the jars clean, label them, and place them in your pantry. These beans need to sit at least 6 weeks to fully develop their flavors.
For a detailed post on water-bath canning, Simply Canning has an excellent tutorial.
If you live at a high altitude, you will need to adjust your processing times based on this chart from the Ball website.
Meet Julie
I’m a farm girl born and bred in North Carolina. I’ve been growing a vegetable garden for over 20 years (and helping my Mom grow hers even longer). I’ve been raising chickens in my bathtub and backyard for 12+ years. I believe that homegrown food can be made simple. Let’s get started.
