My aunt used to pickle extra green beans from her garden at the end of the summer. I always loved them, but I assumed pickling was a lengthy process that involved canning jars and sterilizing and something about making sure lids pop (?) and frankly, I wasn’t interested enough to attempt it.
Then, I recently ate some pickled green beans at a friend’s house and was both instantly reminded of late summer snacks at my aunt’s, and finally brought into the light on quick pickling. You can do this in pretty much any glass container, and you’ll store whatever you make in the refrigerator, so there’s no strict scientific process behind it. Quick pickles will last about six months, but these green beans are usually gone in a matter of days. They’re tangy and spicy (if you want) and make for a perfect snack on their own, or a fun and different component on a charcuterie board.
Ingredients
- 1 lb haricots verts, or trimmed green beans
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (feel free to lessen or omit this if you don’t like spice)
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
- 5 springs fresh dill
Method
In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, wine, water, sugar and salt to a boil. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Place the black pepper, crushed red pepper and two pieces of garlic in the bottom of your pickling container. A 1 liter size is ideal— these Bormiolo Rocco jars* (pictured) are perfect. Add your green beans— you can pack them pretty tightly if you need to. Then, add the remaining garlic and stuff the bay leaves and dill between the beans.
Pour the hot liquid into the jar, leaving about a 1/2 inch of space at the top. Close the jar, and allow to come to room temperature before transferring to the fridge. Let chill overnight. They’ll be crisp and tart the next day!
