Vegetable gardening is really a feast or famine experience.
The anticipation of fresh, flavourful produce causes a lapse in reasoning when planting out seeds in the spring and it seems I never remember how many beans a 100 foot row actually produces!
And this year my failing memory had me plant 400 - yes 400 - feet! Well….Wow. Thats a LOT of beans! Lol.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE beans! almost as much as sweet corn and now I'm learning new ways to enjoy them and keep them over the winter.
After quite a few trial and errors, I have found my new favourite way to preserve beans.
Pickling them helps retain their crispy texture and they look and taste amazing.
The results have been so positive that I simply have to share the recipe with you!
Now this recipe is just one of hundreds of variations and I always encourage you to tweak a recipe and make it your own. That’s what I did with this one.
They come out bright, crispy, refreshingly tangy/sweet and way too yummy to just eat one in your Ceasar! You really have to try them!
This recipe should make 3 one litre jars
You’ll need:
3 one litre jars with lids and rings
3 quarts of fresh beans from your local farmer or market
1 sweet white onion cut into large chunks
9 large garlic cloves (not bulbs)
3 fresh chili or jalapeño peppers sliced in half lengthwise
6 cups of pickling vinegar
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp pickling salt per jar
A large stock pot and rack that fits inside to process jars
Sterilize your jars and lids in boiling water or in your dishwasher on sanitize mode.
Trim the ends off the beans and rinse thoroughly with very cold water
Bring vinegar, sugar and tumeric to a boil and keep hot while packing jars
Pack jars with 4 or 5 chunks of onion, 3 cloves of garlic, a chili pepper and as many beans as you can possibly fit in.
Really pack them in!
Trim any beans that may be too long for the jars and add 2 tsp of pickling salt
Pour hot brine over the beans and leave 1/2 inch space at the top.
Screw on lids finger tight - don’t crank them!
Place the rack inside your stock pot and place your jars in and fill with warm water to just the bottom of the rings. Heat until boiling. Once boiling, process (continue boiling gently) for 10 min.
Carefully remove jars (canning tongs are super useful here) and place them on a clean towel to cool. The lids should “pop” as they cool indicating that they are sealed and can be stored in a cool dark place for the winter - But they won’t last that long, believe me!
A word of caution when filling jars with brine: Be careful not to spill tumeric or brine on your counters or on clothes.
Tumeric STAINS something awful!
I think this might come out with a little baking soda and a lot of elbow grease.
Let me tell you,
The effort is well worth it
As you can see, this jar has barely made it a day in our fridge.
Above all, and as always, have fun with it.
Do you have a great recipe or variation for awesome pickled beans?
I would love to know if you want to share! Hit the button below and connect with me personally. Cheers and happy pickling!