Thursday 9 August 2012

Dilly Bean Addiction, by Kira



I tend to grow a lot of beans.
This year I grew two different types,
green bush bean and dragon tongue bush bean.
The only fresh ones we seem to eat are the ones we snack on while outside.
Otherwise they are all processed into dilly beans.
I can never seem to make enough.

A few nights ago I made my first batch of the season and would like to share a recipe.
The recipe comes from a book called
Put 'em Up , by Sherri Brooks Vinton.
This book is full of great recipes.
The main reason that this is a favourite is because of the low fruit to sugar ratio, and often replaces the sugar with honey.
We are always trying to lower or ditch the sweeteners altogether.





Dilly Beans:


makes about 8 Pint jars.




4 pounds of green beans washed and topped
6 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced
1 cup of dill weed
2 Tbsp of dill seed
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
4 cups of white vinegar
2 cups of water
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp of salt




To prepare:


1. Cut beans one inch shorter then the pint jars. Pack the beans, garlic, dill, dill seeds and peppercorns into hot jars.


2. Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a pot, bring to a boil. Pour hot brine over the beans to cover by 1/2 an inch. Leave half an inch head space between liquid and lid.


To preserve:


CAN: Use the boiling water method. Release trapped air. Wipe the rims clean; centre lids on jars and screw bands on. Process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours. check the seals, then store in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.


Notes:


This is the original recipe.
I used apple cider vinegar instead of white.
I did not put in the peppercorns or dill seeds.
I doubled the amount of fresh dill.
I also added some extra garlic.


For a more in-depth description of the canning process,
check out a recent post at Gardening for Chumps.













 

3 comments:

  1. I can't wait to try making these!
    It sounds like the Dilly Beans have been a real hit for you- may I ask, after doing the 15-minutes of post-canning processing, are the beans still crunchy? Or, if they're softer, is the softness pretty good, too?
    And thank you very much for mentioning Gardening for Chumps. It was such a surprise to see it there! I have been reading this blog for some time now- it was part of what inspired me to start mine- so it was a real treat to see it here :)

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    Replies
    1. Well, we're all in this together.
      We love reading about your experiences, and we are learning from you too.
      Kira just opened a jar of pickled beans to try, and they are fairly crunchy.
      It would be great if you could send us your email address.
      Kira would like to compare notes on the pickling,
      and I have a question for you about potential workshops.
      Thanks for sharing your garden with everyone!

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  2. Hi Andrew and Kira; my email address is i_am_alex_saul@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you! Also: I almost have enough beans for a batch for Dilly Beans. I will let you know how it goes.

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