Extension > Food > Food Safety > Preserving and Preparing > Vegetables and Herbs > Canning pickled dilly beans
Vegetables and Herbs
Canning pickled dilly beans: Step-by-step directions
Using boiling water canner
Clean: food safety starts here!
Clean and sanitize sink and counter tops
- Wash counter tops and prep sinks with hot soapy water. Rinse off soap with clean water.
- Sanitizer Solution: Fill squirt bottle with 1 quart water. Add 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach; or fill squirt bottle with full-strength white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide; or use commercially prepared sanitizer per directions on label.
- Spray counter tops and sink with sanitizer solution. Let air dry for 10 minutes.
- Wash hands.
Wash hands for 20 seconds
- Wet hands under hot running water. Add lots of soap.
- Wash and scrub back of hands, wrists, between fingers and under fingernails for 20 seconds.
- Rinse well under running water.
- Dry with paper towels.
- Use paper towel to turn off the water faucet.
Clean as you go
- Wash dishes, utensils, cutting boards, etc. in hot soapy water.
- Let air dry.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds green or yellow beans, 5-6 inches long (approximately, 6 cups trimmed).
- Brine
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups white vinegar (5%)
- 1/4 cup canning salt
- Per pint jar:
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
- 1 head of dill or 1 teaspoon dill seed
- 1 garlic clove
Recipe source: So Easy to Preserve: 6th Edition. 2014. University of Georgia Extension.
Canning directions:
1) Prepare jars - yields 4 pints
- Inspect canning jars for chips and cracks.
- Wash jars in hot soapy water, rinse well.
- Fill the canner half full with clean warm water.
- Center the canner over the burner and preheat the water to 140°F for hot-packed foods. Use a food thermometer to monitor temperature.
- Put jars into canner so they fill with water.
- Prepare beans and brine while preheating jars.
2) Wash and sort beans
- Sort beans of like size. Discard beans with insect damage, rust or over grown.
- Put beans in a colander
- Rise beans well under running water
- Drain
3) Prep beans
- Using a sharp knife and cutting board, trim both ends so beans are 4 inches long.
- Discard ends.
4) Wash and prepare dill and garlic
- Wash heads of dill under running water.
- Wash cloves of garlic. Break off cloves. Press each clove gently with your palm of hand to loosen skin but not crush the clove. Peel off skin. Rinse clove under running water.
5) Prepare and heat brine
- Mix 2 1/2 cups water, 2 1/2 cups vinegar and 1/4 cup canning salt in a large kettle.
- Stir
- Bring to boil
6) Fill jars
- Use jar lifter to remove jars from canner pouring water from jars back into the canner.
- Place hot jars upside down on a towel or cooling rack.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne or red pepper flakes, 1 head of dill and 1 garlic clove to each pint jar.
- Using clean hands, vertically pack the beans into the jar.
- Ladle brine into hot jars using a funnel or jar filler.
- Fill to 1/2 inch from top of jar (this is called headspace).
- Insert a plastic utensil to remove trapped air bubbles. (Don't use metal as it can scratch the glass increasing risk for breakage).
- Re-adjust headspace to 1/2 inch, if needed, by adding more brine.
- Wipe top of the jar rim with a damp clean paper towel.
- Remove lid from box and place on jar.
- Apply screw band, finger tight. Do not over tighten.
7) Load the canner
- Place filled jars in canner one at a time using a jar lifter. Make sure the jar lifter is securely positioned below the neck of the jar. Keep the jar upright at all times. Tilting the jar could cause food to spill into the sealing area of the lid.
- Add more boiling water, if needed, so the water level is at least one inch above the jar tops. (For process times over 30 minutes, the water level should be 2 inches above the jars).
- Turn the heat setting to its highest position, cover the canner with its lid and heat until the water boils vigorously. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle rolling boil.
- Set timer. Process pints for 10 minutes.
- Add more boiling water during the process, if needed, to keep the water level 1-2 inches above the jar tops.
- If the water stops boiling at any time during the process, turn the heat on its highest setting, bring the water back to a vigorous boil, and begin the timing of the process over from the beginning (using the total original process time).
8) Unload the canner
- When timer rings, turn off heat and remove cover.
- Wait 5 minutes before removing jars to prevent 'spill overs' and ensure good seals.
- Using a jar lifter, remove the jars one at a time, being careful not to tilt the jars.
- Place jars directly onto a towel or cake cooling rack, leaving at least one inch of space between the jars during cooling.
9) Cool and store
- Let the jars sit undisturbed while they cool, 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until the jar is completely cooled.
- Remove ring bands from sealed jars. Test seal. Press the center of the lid. It is sealed if there is no clicking sound.
- Put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use first.
- Wipe jars and lids with a wet cloth.
- Label with name of contents and date.
- Store in a cool, dark, dry place.
- Store beans for at least 2 weeks to develop flavor. Store for up to 1 year.
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