Canned Dilly Beans

Ingredients

• 4 lb (1.8 kg) fresh tender green or yellow beans, 5–6 inches long
• 8–16 heads fresh dill
• 8 cloves garlic, optional
• 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
• 4 cups 5% acidity white vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash and trim beans and cut them to 4-inch lengths. Prepare hot sterile pint jars.

2. 2

   Place 1–2 dill heads and, if desired, 1 garlic clove in each pint jar.

3. 3

   Pack beans upright, trimming if necessary, and leave 1/2-inch headspace.

4. 4

   Combine salt, vinegar, water and optional pepper flakes and bring to a boil.

5. 5

   Cover beans with the boiling solution, maintaining 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims and apply lids.

6. 6

   Process pints in a boiling-water canner: 5 min at 0–1,000 ft; 10 min at 1,001–6,000 ft; 15 min above 6,000 ft. Cool undisturbed 12–24 hours and check seals.