25 October 2010

Pickled Green Beans


I bought pickled green beans at the farmer's market over the summer. They were fantastic! They cost $10 for a jar. One pound of raw organic farmer's market green beans costs $2. Cheaper if you get not organic and from somewhere else. I figured I could make them myself for a lot less (because I'm cheap).


I've always been sort of scared of canning things. But if you're only pickling (as opposed to making jams or sauces), you don't have to go through the hassle of boiling everything in a large pot and worrying about sterility. You're keeping this stuff in vinegar; it's not going to spoil.


You can pickle pretty much anything... peppers, carrots, beans, onions, cauliflower, it's up to you! You can use this as a base and adjust accordingly. As I make them, they are pretty sour. If you want them less sour, you can use less vinegar, or use a different vinegar. You can also add sugar if you'd like! Full disclosure, I've only made beans, but it all works the same. The only thing is denser veggies (like carrots) might take longer unless you slice them thinly!

Ingredients
clean pint sized mason jar with tight fitting lid
few sprigs of fresh dill
3 large cloves of garlic, cut into 3-4 pieces per clove
1 jalapeno, sliced (optional! I prefer reds because they're hotter and also prettier and I keep all the seeds and stems, but you can adjust for how hot you want it to be)
1 lb green beans
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt

Directions
1. Place the dill at the bottom. Place most of the garlic and jalapeno slices on top of the dill. Keep a few extras to place on the side, this will make the jar look pretty, but it's optional. If you don't care how it looks, put everything at the bottom.
2. Trim the green beans to whatever size you prefer. I like them to be long, so I cut them to be just shorter than the jar, and then squish the small pieces around the edges, but some people might prefer to trim them all to the same size (1 inch? whatever!)
3. Place the beans on top of the herbs and spices. Arrange jalapenos and garlic around the sides if you are doing that.
4. Boil the water, vinegar, and salt.
5. Place the mason jar in the sink or somewhere that it's ok to spill. Pour the boiling vinegar water into the jar. Fill to the top, leaving a little space so you won't spill when you open it the first time. There will be too much liquid, but it's better to have too much than not enough!
6. Cap the jar and put it in your refrigerator. Leave it for at least a week before opening them, but this will last you months (but probably only minutes after you try the first one!) There are really tasty with Bloody Marys!

4 comments:

  1. I'm probably doing this for everyone for Christmas! (Only with fruit and alcohol... :P )

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  2. I am not a big pickle fan, but those photos are so pretty that I want to try making it!

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  3. Katie, are you making alcoholic fruits or infused alcohol? I've made some flavored tequilas but want to experiment more!

    Heather, these don't taste like store-bought pickles, I promise! But I can't guarantee you will like them...

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  4. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/dining/22appe.html

    Something like these... this article gave me the idea!

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