Pickled green beans are multi-purpose; an appetizer, side dish, or snack that everyone loves (no canning required)!
Brined in vinegar, garlic, pickling spices, and sprigs of dill, green beans are light and refreshing snacks that are delicious on their own or they can be added to all kinds of drinks, appetizers, and platters! Best served cold and crunchy!
Perfectly Pickled Green Beans
- AKA ‘Dilly Beans’, this pickled green beans recipe is a quick and easy version that doesn’t use a pressure canning process.
- These beans have a tangy zesty and fresh flavor.
- Simply make them and store them in the refrigerator until they’re ready to enjoy!
- Short on time? No problem! Frozen green beans don’t need to be thawed.
- Cook batches of pickled green beans and share as colorfully impressive hostess gifts!
Ingredients and Variations
Every jar of pickled green beans can be a colorful assortment of herbs, spices, and small, flavorful ornamentals like peppers.
GREEN BEANS: Fresh or frozen green beans should be of equal length and width. Garlic cloves should be whole and peeled, we prefer small cloves. Fresh dill is optional but recommended, choose fresh sprigs with thick, lacy fronds.
PICKLING SPICES: Premade pickling spices add great flavor. These blends are made with bay leaves, allspice berries, cardamom, cinnamon, dill seed, cloves, and mustard seeds.
VINEGAR: We use white vinegar but swap it out to change up the flavor. Try apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar or even white wine vinegar.
Variations
SPICY: Add whole red Thai chili peppers, sliced habanero peppers, or jalapenos to the jar before pouring in the brine. Add dried red pepper flakes and white or black peppercorns to the jar before pouring in the brine.
SWEET: Dissolve extra sugar into the brine during Step 2 to make these beans a little sweeter!
VEGETABLES: Add other veggies like carrot sticks or cucumber spears to have a mixture in flavor and textures.
How to Make Pickled Green Beans
Everyone loves refrigerator pickles, they are so easy to make:
- Prepare green beans as directed in the recipe below.
- Pack beans upright in glass pint jars. Add garlic and pickling spices.
- Bring water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan per the recipe below.
- Pour brine into each jar, covering the green beans. Let cool at room temperature.
- Place lids on jars and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
How to Use Pickled Beans
These multi-purpose green beans have so many uses, you’ll want to double up on the recipe!
- Use them to garnish your favorite cocktails like this bloody Mary, or this classic martini recipe, and they taste great in a classic Caesar drink in place of celery.
- Add them to a charcuterie board, salads or to create an impressive antipasto platter.
- Use them on a sandwich in place of pickles.
Perfectly Pickled!
Did you make these Quick Pickled Beans? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Quick Pickled Green Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds green beans
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tablespoon pickling spices
- 2 ¾ cups water
- 1 ¼ cups white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- fresh dill optional
Instructions
- Wash beans and trim the ends. Place beans in jars along with garlic and pickling spices.
- Bring water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil until dissolved.
- Pour hot mixture over the beans. Cool at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Place lids on jars and refrigerate at least 2 days before eating or up to 1 month.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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How much fresh dill should be used?
Hi Kathy, that depends on how much you enjoy the dill flavor. I like to add about a tablespoon of fresh dill.
Delicious! I added hot sauce before the pickling liquid and did not add pickling spice. They are spicy and amazing!
So happy you loved this recipe, Lisa!
Is it one tablespoon of pickling spice per jar ?
Hi Judy, this recipe calls for one tablespoon of pickling spice for 1.5 pounds of green beans. I would divide the pickling spice evenly among the green beans. I hope this helps!
Does the sugar needed to be added? I don’t like the sweet flavor in pickling .
Without the sugar the vinegar has quite a bite so for the best balance of flavor it is recommended to add it. If you want to try without it you are welcome to.
Are they still usable after 1 month or do they spoil?
Longer than 1 month and the beans can start to get soft and over time there can be risk of bacterial growth in the brine.
How many jars do you typically use for this recipe?
It will depend on how big your jars are. You will need about 3 pint jars. I hope this helps Catherine!
How many pint jars would I need for 1 1/2 lb beans?
You will need about 3 pint jars. Enjoy Karen!
Haven’t got to taste them yet but it was a quick and easy process
why would these beans have to be used in a month? If the jars were processed and sealed couldn’t they be kept longer?
This recipe is for pickled beans, it is not a canning recipe and I do not have enough experience in canning to be sure. I hope this helps Pat!
Can you can these green beans, rathar than put in frig.?
I don’t have enough experience in canning to be sure either way.