Crunchy, Spicy, Dilly Pickled Green Beans

By Andrew Zimmern

I love these pickled green beans because they’re not overwhelmingly pickled. They’re crisp, pleasantly spicy and bright, but you can still taste the green bean itself. It’s almost as though they’ve been seasoned from the inside with a beautiful salad dressing. They’re terrific eaten straight from the jar, alongside a sandwich or as part of a big snacking board. Give them a few days in the refrigerator before serving. I could eat these all day long.

Spicy Pickled Green Beans

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh green beans, preferably slender and very crisp
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
4 to 6 sprigs fresh dill
2 fresh red Fresno or serrano chiles, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
2 cups water
3 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

Wash and trim the green beans so they will fit upright in two clean, 1-quart jars or another nonreactive container.

Divide the garlic, dill, chiles, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns evenly between the jars.

Pack the green beans fairly tightly into the jars, standing them upright.

In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat.

Carefully pour the hot brine over the green beans, making sure they are completely submerged.

Allow the jars to cool uncovered, then cover and refrigerate.

The green beans will be good after 24 hours, considerably better after 3 days and will really hit their stride around day 5.

Tips:

If you have extra room in your jars, tuck in another compatible vegetable. I sometimes add fennel tops for a slightly different flavor.

Storage: Refrigerate for several weeks, keeping the beans submerged in their brine. These are refrigerator pickles and are not intended for shelf-stable storage.