Pickled Green Beans {for canning}

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These pickled green beans are the perfect crunchy, tangy and spicy bite for snacking, charcuterie or garnishing a bloody Mary. Infused with fresh dill, garlic, and a kick of heat from fresh chiles, they are packed with bold flavors that will have you making them again and again.

These Spicy Dilly Beans are safe for water bath canning and make a great gift for friends and family!

An open wide mouth pint jar filled with homemade pickled green beans is sitting on a wood cutting board with some of the beans laying next to a fork with fresh dill and garlic cloves.

If you love a crunchy pickle with a bold kick then these pickled green beans will be right up your alley! Crisp, tangy and packed with dill and garlic, these green beans get just the right amount of heat from the addition of fresh Serrano peppers and red pepper flakes. Not only are these beans great for snacking but they look beautiful on an antipasto platter or charcuterie board and make a great addition to cocktails.

Whether you're a seasoned canner or new to preserving, this easy recipe is a great way to preserve green beans year round!

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What is water bath canning?
Safe canning resources.
More preserving recipes for you to enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients & Substitutions.
Recipe FAQs
Recipe

What is water bath canning?

Canning is simply the process of applying adequate heat to high acid food that is sealed in jars for the allotted time necessary to kill off bacteria and micro-organisms that cause food spoilage. During heating, oxygen is driven out of the jars, causing a vacuum seal to form when the jars cool down. This prevents any outside micro-organisms and oxygen from getting back into the food. When done correctly, canning preserves food safely for at least a year, although probably much, much longer.

You can check out my guide on How to Safely Water Bath Can at Home more resources on safe home preserving.

Safe canning resources.

If you are new to canning you can find great resources, recipes and tutorials at Ball Canning and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

A mason jar of the best spicy dilly pickled green beans is sitting on a wood cutting board next to other jars of pickled, fresh dill and garlic cloves.

More preserving recipes for you to enjoy.

Equipment

For the Pickled Green Beans:

Large pot
Cutting board and knife
Measuring cups and spoons

For water bath canning:

Mason jars: Make sure the jars are clean and that the lids are brand new. You cannot reuse canning lids. I personally prefer using wide mouth mason jars for pickles, but regular also work.
Large pot with rack OR Electric Canner: If you only can once in a while using a large pot with a canning rack works just fine. As someone who personally does a lot of canning and I absolutely LOVE my Ball FreshTech Electric Canner.
Jar lifter: You will need a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water bath.
Funnel: I personally love this canning funnel because it also allows you to measure the headspace easily.
Ladle: This Prepworks Canning Scoop is my favorite.

The ingredients needed to pickle green beans are setting on a white backdrop including a large silver bowl of fresh green beans, fresh dill, Serrano peppers, garlic, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, a jar of red pepper flakes, a jar of pickle crips, a bag of pickling salt and a jar of white vinegar.

Ingredients & Substitutions.

Green beans: You'll need to use fresh, not frozen, for this recipe.
White vinegar: I recommend using distilled white vinegar but if you prefer you could also use a combination of vinegars such as apple cider or red wine vinegar.
Salt: I recommend using a canning and pickling Salt.
Red pepper flakes: Feel free to omit these for a milder pickle.
Mustard Seeds
Fresh garlic: I highly recommend using fresh garlic for this recipe.
Fresh chile: I like using Serrano peppers, but you could also do jalapenos, cayenne peppers, or Thai chiles. Feel free to omit for a milder pickle.
Black peppercorns
Fresh dill
Pickle Crisp (optional)

What is "Pickle Crisp"?

Pickle crisp is basically calcium chloride, an additive commonly used in home canning to keep pickled vegetables firm and crunchy. It strengthens the cell walls of vegetables, preventing them from getting soft during processing. You can absolutely omit this from the recipe but your green beans will be a bit softer than if you did use it.

Recipe FAQs

How long should I let these pickled green beans sit before eating?

I'd give them at least 2-3 days to really let the flavors meld before eating.

Why are my pickled green beans soft?

There are several reasons your green beans might turn out softer than you wanted them. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Did you use pickle crisp (aka calcium chloride)?
2. Were your green beans old or overripe?
3. Did you over-process the green beans while canning?

To prevent sogginess, be sure to use crisp, fresh green beans, do not process them in the water bath for longer than the recipe calls for and utilize a little Pickle Crisp to ensure ultimate crunchiness.

How spicy are these green beans?

That is entirely up to you! As written, this recipe has a good kick to it but nothing that will blow your head off. If you prefer milder pickles you can omit the red pepper flakes and chile peppers. If you'd like a spicier pickle feel free to increase red pepper flakes and add more chiles.

Can I customize this recipe?

Yes, to an extent. You can change the seasoning, herbs, types of vinegar (so long as it's at least 5% acidity) as long as you retain the 1:1 vinegar/water ratio. That is one part water to one part vinegar.

Several jars of the best homemade pickled green beans are sitting on a wooden cutting board, one is open and there are several pickled beans out along with sprigs of fresh dill and garlic cloves.

Made these Pickled Green Beans? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Recipe