Canning Dilly Beans

It's the season for beans! & we've got a great dill-inspired snack

 

Preserving dilly beans is quick, easy and doesn't require a pressure canner.

It's the same basic recipe for canning dill pickles. Vinegar protects the food from bacteria that regular canning takes more time and heat to do. For these dilly beans (without pressure) it takes 15 minutes in a waterbath. Regular green beans are canned under pressure for about 25 minutes (or three hours in a waterbath canner).

trying new jar size - Pint and a Half. 

*note - jar needs more headspace

Ingredients: 

• 8 pint and a half jars (we wanted to try the new size!) and 1 wide-mouth quart jar washed with hot soapy water and let dry
• 9 wide-mouth lids and rings fit together placed in medium saucepan covered with water and brought to a simmer
• fresh dill & green beans washed, broken and scrubbed
• 1 or more cloves of pealed garlic

Brine:

• 8 1/2 cups of water
• 2 1/4 cups of white vinegar
• 1/2 cup of pickling salt

Before Filling Jars: 

• Fill water bath canner half-full with water; set on stove burner
• In large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil; turn off the heat; set aside

Filling Jars: 

• place a layer of dill and garlic at the bottom of each jar, 
• tightly load beans into the jar to the neck of the jar (depending on size you may have two layers)
• add a top layer of dill and garlic clove if desired

• Pour brine into filled jars leaving half-inch head space (no brine or beans at the top to ensure proper jar seal)

• Add lid and ring to each jar, tighten them evenly (wiping the glass jar lip with a clean cloth will help ensure the jars seal properly) 

• Place jars into your waterbath canner with water JUST to the necks of the jars
• Bring water almost to a boil (about 15 minutes depending on how fast it heats) - boiling for 6-10 minutes 
• Remove jars, carefully set on a dish towel on the kitchen counter and wait for the seal - the indented lid (it sounds like a "pop")

Dilly beans are a fast and easy way to process a season's bean crop without using a pressure canner. 

When we picked beans we also took advantage of the season's wild berries, yum!