These briny crunchy bits are not for putting on your shelves for a later time. They are for the person who enjoys instant gratification and perfect for a last minute addition to a Bloody Mary Bar. I prefer using multi colored beans such as purple and yellow and green for a colorful jar, but green beans will do just fine. You may want to find your own blend of pickling spices via experimentation to find that perfectly balanced flavor.
- ½ pound green beans, washed and trimmed
- 5-6 sprigs (plus stems) fresh dill
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 heaping teaspoon each of the following: fennel seed, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, nigella seeds and whole allspice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2-3 hot peppers, whole
- 2-3 garlic cloves peeled, sliced in half long ways
To make the brine, combine water, vinegar, spices, sugar and salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Pack a quart jar with washed and trimmed beans, well layered with your dill, garlic and peppers. Submerge the beans with the brine.
Cover, refrigerate and let the magic begin. The beans will be delicious within a few hours, but giving them a few days will really develop the flavor. If you want a spicier batch, slice open the hot peppers to expose the seeds.
They will stay fresh for two weeks refrigerated.
Here is an archive of Kristen’s previous recipes published in Macaroni Kid:
Spicy Peach Sauce
Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Coookies
Whole Grain Mustard
Homemade Mayo
Roasted Garlic
Chicken Pozole Recipe
Cleansing Juices
Homemade Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce
BLT (etc) Salad with Honey Citrus Vinaigrette
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Baked Chickpeas with Eggs & Feta
Butternut Squash Soup
Sushi Tortilla Wrap
Black Bean Quinoa Cakes
Spicy Pulled Pork
Crispy Brown Rice Peanut Butter Munchies
Fish Tacos
Thai Salad
Homemade Granola
Quiche
Pumpkin Risotto
Chunky Chicken Chili
Seasonal Grilled Pizza
Healthy Oat Bars
Lamb Chops
Rustic Gazpacho
Irish Soda Bread
Rhubarb-Vanilla Bean Jam
Almond Polenta Cake with Elderflower Honey Glaze
Homemade Marshmallows
No-Fuss Sugar Cookies
