Dilly Beans

I may have gotten a wee-bit overzealous yesterday afternoon/evening and decided to do a small batch of Dilly Beans using fresh picked bush beans from the garden (see Garden 2017 and Garden Update)!

Dilly Beans [yield: (6) 16oz pints – I STRONGLY recommend using a wide-mouth jar]

Materials: (all materials can be found on The Necessities for reference)

6 pint jars (plus flat lids and bands/rings) [Hint: I usually add an additional jar or 2 just in case. Also, as mentioned in Jar Sizes, you can always can in smaller sizes just not larger – meaning, you can use 8 half-pints.]
1 water bath
1 funnel
1 jar lifter
1 stainless steel ladle
1 large stainless steel pot (or dutch oven)
1 dish towel (large enough for the jelly jars to cool on)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds fresh green/yellow beans, washed
5 cups vinegar (minimum of 5% acidity)
2 cups water
1/3 cup canning & pickling salt*
1 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
12 fresh dill sprigs
6 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed****Canning & pickling salt is highly recommended due to its fine granules, non-iodized, and no anti-caking additives. If you can find another salt (such as Sea Salt or Kosher salt) that satisfies these requirements, you are more than welcome to use them instead.
** I used home canned spicy pickled garlic for a little extra flavor!

Process:

Inspect each of your jars for cracks, chips, and/or any other questionable markings before use.
Place wire rack into bottom of water bath with ‘arms’ up to allow jars to be placed.
Fill you water bath with enough water to cover each of the jars with 2-3″ of liquid and place on burner to warm jars (simmer but do not boil).
Cut off stem of washed green beans. If desired – cut green beans into chunks or leave whole. [You may need to trim the bean down so that it can fit into the jar]
In a large stainless steel pot, bring vinegar, water, canning & pickling salt, and crushed red peppers to a boil.
Remove empty jelly jars from water bath by lifting the wire rack and setting the arms on the rim of the water bath. Then, using jar lifter empty and remove the jar from the water.
Place 1-2 dill sprigs and 1 crushed garlic clove in each jar. Raw pack [Raw pack is placing raw/uncooked food into jars] beans into each jar tightly leaving a 1/2 in head space. [Head space is the distance from the top of the jar to the food filling the jar.]
Using a ladle, pour the boiling pickling mixture over the green beans in the jars.
Use debubbler to release any remaining bubbles. Add additional liquid if needed to maintain 1/2″ head space.
Wipe the rim of each jar with a damp cloth ensuring that the rims are clean.
Place flat lid and screw band on jar and finger tighten. [Hint: Place the jar on a towel and using only your fingers, tighten the band until your jar spins on the towel.]
Once finger tightened, return to warm water bath to avoid thermal shock. [Thermal shock is the cracking of jars from an extreme temperature swing such as putting hot food into a cold jar.] Lower wire rack once full.
Place lid on canner, return to high heat and bring water to a full rolling boil.
Once boiling, set timer for 10 minutes [refer to your elevations processing time for correct info].
After 10 minutes, turn off heat and remove the lid. Wait an additional 5 minutes.
Once again, lifting wire rack and placing arms on canner rim, use the jar lifter to remove your filled jars and place on a towel in a cool & draft-free location.
Wait 24 hours before touching the jars. After 24 hours, remove the bands and pick up each jar from the flat lid (this will help ensure that each jar is truly sealed). Once the seal is verified, you may wash the exterior of the jars, dry, label, and store for future use.
Please note: As with any pickled item, this item is best used when stored for at least 4 weeks before opening!As always- below are my pictures. Please note that I only had enough beans on hand to produce a small batch.

Credit:
The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving by Ball