Jelly Beans, I mean Dilly Beans...

MMMM...Jelly beans...now I want some.
Cinnamon or Very Cherry are my favorite jelly beans.
 But that is not the right kind of bean for today.

Green Beans are though!

I love, love, love fresh crisp green beans. 

They just taste so fabulous straight from the garden.

Since I receive a box of produce every week, and I'm just one person...One of my main goals for this summer, is to preserve as much as possible to use again during the winter. An added bonus will be finding new ways to add veggies into every meal.

Flipping through my trusty Ball Blue Book, there were many options, but I settled on Dilly Beans

http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes.aspx



Dilly Beans

Supplies:

sterilized jars, rims, and lids

2 pounds green beans (only had one pound, so I made a small batch)

1/2 canning salt

2 1/2 cups vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 heads dill ( I had fresh dill stalks...worked fine)

4 cloves of garlic ( I doubled this...I love garlic!)

Before doing anything else, start your waterbath canner.  It takes a good 30-45 minutes to bring it to a strong boil.  I have an electric stove top, so gas would probably be quicker! :0P

Directions:

1. Trim and wash your green beans.

2. Combine the salt, vinegar, and water into a large pot.  Bring it to a boil.

3.  In each jar, pack your beans lengthwise.., as best as you can.

4. To each jar add your red pepper flakes, garlic, and dill.  Go away shove it in!

5. Ladle the hot liquid over the beans, filling it up, but leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

6.  Remove any air bubbles, add the two-piece caps and process for 10 minutes.

7.  Now...wait...4-6 weeks.  This is definitely not an instant gratification canning project.  But it is exciting to wait and see what will happen.  I'll let you know...well, in like 6 weeks! :0)

 Waiting is the difficult part....