This recipe was passed down to me by a dear family friend, Laurie. Everyone raved about her dilly beans through the early years of my marriage. So I made the famed beans summer after summer only to figure out a couple years ago that it is simply the recipe from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. Ha! I got a great kick out of it when I saw Laurie. She laughed and conceded. Nonetheless, everyone loves them!
Adapted from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving
Dilly Beans – – – makes 4 pints
2 to 3 pounds green beans
1/4 cup canning salt
2.5 cups vinegar
2.5 cups water
2 teaspoons of cayenne (1/2 tsp per jar)
4 cloves garlic (one per jar – add more if available)
4 heads dill (one head of dill per jar)
Combine vinegar, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. While the pickling liquid heats, pack the beans into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch for headspace. To each jar, add 1 clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon dill seeds, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes).
Slowly pour the hot brine over the beans, leaving 1/2 inch for headspace. After all the jars are full, use a wooden chopstick to work the air bubbles out of the jars. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.
Wipe the rims, apply lids and rings and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let pickles sit for at least one week before eating.