Quick pickled green beans are a snap to make and so flavorful. Brined with a spicy array of garlic, dill, mustard seed, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes, they are bursting with excitement. Aren’t they beautiful, all lined up in the jar? Don’t worry, you don’t have to use an old fashioned canner and boiling water bath to make these pickled green beans. This recipe is seriously easy! I just love quick refrigerator pickles. They have such fresh flavor and retain their crispness. I’ve found that you can quick pickle almost any vegetable. My popular pickled red onions are a staple in my kitchen. You can even quick pickle Italian style giardiniera often found on antipasto platters. Try this recipe from The View From Great Island. How do you eat pickled green beans? They are perfect on a charcuterie board, as a delicious cold side dish or low calorie snack, or as an interesting garnish for a homemade Bloody Mary. You’ll want to try making these crisp pickled green beans soon.
About these pickled green beans:
As I mentioned above, these are quick pickled beans. They are not canned so they must be stored in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for at least one month. You can use almost any glass jar. Look for one that’s about the same height as the green beans, so they can stand up nice and straight. Recycled jars are perfect as long as they have a tight fitting lid. A quart sized canning jar works well, too. Make sure your jar is spotlessly clean! Begin by getting the brine ready. Add water, vinegar, sugar, salt to a saucepan, bring it to boil over high heat, boiling until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set the brine aside to cool. Wash and trim the beans, and arrange them in the jar. Add a garlic clove, a few sprigs of fresh dill, and spices. You can arrange everything artistically or just dump it in. The beans won’t care a bit. Pour the brine over the beans. Tap the jar on the counter a few times to dislodge air bubbles, then fill to the top of the jar. Put the lid on and wait. Seriously, this is the hardest part! The beans get better and better every day they spend in the fridge. You can try them right away, but they’ll be sort of a disappointment. Wait three days, and wow! Wait a week, and you’ll be blown away by how good they are. So wait, watch, and anticipate. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your homemade pickled green beans!
How to make these green beans your own:
Too crispy for you? For more tender green beans, blanch them before pickling. Bring a pot of water to boil, add beans for 2-3 minutes, drain, and put into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the green color. When beans are cool, drain well, and proceed with recipe. If you like the beans to be more tangy, increase the amount of vinegar and decrease the amount of water. You can go up to half vinegar and half water. Use any regular vinegar: apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, rice vinegar, red or white wine vinegar. Experiment with the seasonings. Consider this recipe a starting point. Adjust the seasonings to your personal preference.
Storage Tips
Like I mention above, these are refrigerator pickles. You can store green bean pickles in the fridge for up a month or more. After that, the texture will deteriorate. If liquid appears cloudy, dump them out. Even though it’s tempting, don’t use your fingers to fish them out of the jar. Use a clean fork so you don’t introduce bacteria into the jar. Love the idea of refrigerator pickles? So easy, and so tasty! Try:
Pickled Asparagus Refrigerator Dill Pickles Pickled Cauliflower Pickled Radishes
