Pickled Green Beans
If you’ve ever grown green beans, you already know how fast these grow. Green beans are one of those garden vegetables that just keep producing. Once they really get going, you can pick a basketful one day and find another bunch ready to go the next day. Over the summer, I was picking green beans twice a day because they were growing so fast. At first, I’m always thrilled to see a huge harvest coming from the garden until reality sets in. There are green beans on the counter, in the refrigerator, and probably more ready to be picked. And tomorrow, there will be more. So what do you do with all of them? Well, I love fresh green beans, so we definitely enjoy that perk. We also freeze, pressure can some, and give some away. Another really delicious way to enjoy the harvest is pickled green beans.
These homemade pickled green beans are a fantastic way to preserve your garden harvest so you can enjoy that crisp, tangy flavor long after the growing season ends.
They’re also incredibly easy to make.
A simple vinegar brine, canning salt, fresh green beans, and garlic are all you need to turn an overflowing garden harvest into jars of delicious pickled beans.
Even better, these little jars make wonderful gifts.
A jar of homemade pickled green beans isn’t just food. It’s a little reminder that you thought about someone while you were standing in your kitchen preserving your garden harvest.
And I don’t know about you, but I think those are some of the best gifts to give.
Why Pickled Green Beans Are Perfect for a Garden Harvest
Green beans are fantastic garden vegetables, but their productivity can get a little ridiculous.
You start with a few plants, watch the vines grow, and eventually discover that you need to check them constantly because beans seem to appear overnight.
If you wait too long, you’ll find giant beans hiding under the leaves.
That’s why picking frequently matters.
During the height of the season, I often found myself going through the garden twice a day just to keep up. We ate green beans fresh as often as possible because nothing beats garden-fresh vegetables.
Instead of watching a mountain of green beans go to waste, I turned that harvest into something that would last much longer.
What Do Pickled Green Beans Taste Like?
Pickled green beans have a completely different personality from freshly cooked green beans.
The vinegar brine gives them a bright, tangy flavor, while the salt brings out the natural flavor of the beans.
Garlic adds another savory layer without overpowering the vegetables.
The beans still have that unmistakable green bean flavor, but now they have a crisp, tangy quality that makes them incredibly snackable.
They’re especially good straight from the jar.
You can also serve them alongside sandwiches, burgers, grilled meats, salads, or a simple lunch.
Basically, anywhere you’d reach for a pickle, these green beans can sub in.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fresh Green Beans
You’ll need 2 pounds of fresh green beans.
For pickling, choose beans that are fresh and firm. Younger, tender beans generally give you the nicest texture.
Wash them well and trim the ends.
You can leave them whole if they fit nicely into your jars or cut them into lengths that fit your jars.
White Vinegar
The vinegar is one of the most important ingredients in this recipe because it provides the acidity needed for pickling.
For canning, use white vinegar that is labeled as 5% acidity. NCHFP specifically recommends vinegar of at least 5% acidity for pickled foods.
Don’t substitute a lower-acidity vinegar.
Water
Water balances the vinegar so the finished pickled beans aren’t overwhelmingly sharp.
Canning Salt
Canning or pickling salt is the right choice for this recipe.
It dissolves cleanly in the brine and doesn’t contain the additives found in some table salts that can cause cloudiness or other quality issues in pickled products.
Garlic
Each jar gets a clove of garlic.
As the beans sit in the brine, that garlic flavor develops and becomes part of the overall pickle.
How to Make Pickled Green Beans
1. Prepare the Water Bath
Start by filling your water-bath canner with enough water to cover the jars and bring it to a boil.
You’ll want everything ready to go before you begin filling the jars.
2. Wash and Trim the Beans
Wash your green beans thoroughly.
Trim the ends and cut the beans to fit your jars if necessary.
I like keeping the beans as long as possible because they look beautiful packed vertically into a jar.
Plus, there’s something very satisfying about opening a jar and seeing those neat rows of green beans inside.
3. Make the Brine
Combine the white vinegar, water, and canning salt in a saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a simmer.
The vinegar, water, and salt create the simple brine that transforms fresh green beans into pickled green beans.
4. Prepare the Jars
Wash the jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water.
Keep the jars hot until you’re ready to fill them.
5. Add the Garlic
Place one clove of garlic into each clean, hot jar.
This is such a simple step, but that garlic is going to add a lot of flavor.
6. Pack the Green Beans
Pack the green beans into the jars.
Arrange them vertically if you can. Trim any beans that are too long so they fit comfortably inside the jar.
Leave ½ inch of headspace at the top.
Don’t cram the beans into the jars so tightly that the brine can’t move around them.
7. Add the Brine
Ladle the hot brine over the beans.
Use a bubble popper to remove trapped air bubbles, then adjust the headspace if necessary.
Wipe the jar rims with a clean, dry paper towel.
Any food or brine left on the rim can interfere with the seal, so take a second to make sure those rims are clean.
8. Add the Lids and Process
Place the lids on the jars and tighten the rings fingertip tight.
Using a jar lifter, carefully lower the jars into the boiling-water canner.
Cover the canner and process for 10 minutes or if necessary, adjust for your altitude.
After processing, carefully remove the jars using the jar lifter.
Place them on a towel-lined cutting board or another protected surface where they can cool undisturbed.
9. Let the Jars Cool
Leave the jars alone for 12 hours.
Don’t push on the lids, tighten the rings, or move the jars around while they’re cooling.
Once they’re completely cooled, check the seals.
Any jar that didn’t seal should be refrigerated and used first.
Then label and date your sealed jars before putting them away.
How to Serve Pickled Green Beans
Of course, you can eat them straight from the jar.
That’s probably the first thing I’d do.
Pickled green beans also make a great addition to a snack board. Put out a jar alongside cheese, crackers, meats, olives, and other pickled vegetables.
They’re fantastic with sandwiches, too.
Try them alongside a roast beef sandwich, turkey sandwich, grilled cheese, or burger.
You can also chop them up and toss them into salads for a crunchy, tangy addition.
Another favorite use is serving them with grilled meats. The acidity helps cut through richer foods and adds a fresh, bright flavor to the plate.
And don’t forget appetizers.
A little jar of pickled green beans on an appetizer table tends to disappear surprisingly quickly.
Pickled Green Beans Make Wonderful Gifts
This might be my favorite reason to make these.
Garden-preserved food makes such a thoughtful gift.
You don’t have to spend a fortune, a fancy gift basket, or figure out what someone already owns.
You can simply hand them a little jar of something you made.
Add a cute label with the name and date, tie a piece of ribbon around the lid, and you’ve got a homemade gift ready to go.
I especially love giving garden-preserved food to family and friends because it feels personal.
When you handed someone a little piece of your garden, you’re literally saying, “I was thinking about you.”
That’s a pretty great gift.
How Long Do Pickled Green Beans Need to Sit?
Technically, you can eat them once they’ve cooled, but pickled vegetables generally benefit from some time for the flavors to develop.
The vinegar and salt need time to work their way into the beans.
The garlic also becomes more noticeable as the jars sit.
NCHFP’s tested pickled green bean recipe recommends allowing the beans to stand for at least two weeks before tasting so the flavor has time to develop.
So if you can possibly wait, give those jars some time.
Tips for the Best Pickled Green Beans
Use fresh beans. Pick beans that are firm and free from spoilage.
Use 5% acidity vinegar. This is particularly important for canning pickled foods.
Don’t skip the headspace. Keep the recommended ½ inch headspace so the jars can seal properly.
Pack the beans neatly. Standing them upright makes the jars look beautiful and makes it easier to get a good amount of beans into each jar.
Keep the jars hot. Hot jars help make the filling process smoother and reduce the chance of thermal shock.
Clean the rims. A clean rim helps the lid make a proper seal.
Let the jars cool undisturbed. Give them the full cooling time before checking the seals.
Label everything. Once you’ve got several jars of garden vegetables in your pantry, it gets surprisingly easy to forget exactly when you made something.
What If a Jar Doesn’t Seal?
If one of your jars doesn’t seal after cooling, place it in the refrigerator and use it first.
Don’t ever store an unsealed jar into the pantry.
The sealed jars can be labeled, dated, and stored in a cool, dark, dry place.
NCHFP recommends storing properly canned foods in a clean, cool, dark, dry place and checking jars for signs of spoilage before use.
One More Way to Enjoy That Garden Bounty
I think every gardener eventually reaches that point in the summer when the garden is producing faster than the family can eat.
That’s not a bad problem to have.
Those green bean plants that seemed so small at the beginning of the season can suddenly provide basket after basket of fresh vegetables.
You pick in the morning.
Then you check again later.
Before long, you’re standing in the kitchen with another pile of beans wondering how you’re going to use them all.
That’s when preserving becomes such a valuable part of gardening.
Freeze some.
Pressure can some.
Eat them fresh.
And make pickled green beans.
Each method gives you another way to stretch your harvest beyond the summer months.
Then, when winter rolls around and the garden is buried under snow, you can reach into the pantry and pull out a jar of green beans you picked months earlier.
That’s pretty satisfying.
Even better, you can hand a jar to a friend or family member and know that you’re giving them something you grew and made yourself.
A little jar of pickled green beans might not seem like a huge gift.
However, it’s a little piece of summer in a jar.
And sometimes those are the gifts people remember the most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen green beans to make pickled green beans?
For this canning recipe, use fresh green beans as directed. Pickling recipes are developed around specific ingredients and preparation methods, so don’t substitute frozen beans unless the recipe specifically calls for them.
What kind of vinegar should I use?
Use white vinegar with 5% acidity for a shelf-stable pickling recipe. NCHFP specifically recommends vinegar of at least 5% acidity for pickled foods.
Do pickled green beans need to be pressure canned?
No. A properly formulated pickled green bean recipe uses enough vinegar to acidify the vegetables so they can be processed in a boiling-water canner. Regular, non-pickled green beans are different and require pressure canning.
How long should pickled green beans sit before eating?
For the best flavor, give them some time to develop. NCHFP’s tested pickled green bean recipe recommends waiting at least two weeks before tasting.
What can I serve with pickled green beans?
Serve them alongside sandwiches, burgers, grilled meats, salads, snack boards, appetizers, or simply eat them straight from the jar.
More Pickling Recipes
Pickled Jalapenos
Pickled Roasted Red Peppers
Pickled Watermelon Rinds
Pickled Green Beans
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Fresh green beans
- 1/4 cup canning salt
- 2½ cups White vinegar
- 2½ cups Water
- 4 cloves Garlic
Instructions
- Fill the water bath and bring to a boil.
- Wash and trim the beans.
- In a saucepan, bring vinegar, water, and salt to a simmer.
- Wash the jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water.
- Place 1 clove of garlic in each clean, hot jar.
- Pack the beans into the jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Fill the jars with the brine. Using the bubble popper, remove any trapped air and adjust headspace if necessary.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean dry paper towel.
- Place the lids on the jars and tighten the rings finger tip tight.
- Using the jar lifter, lower the jars into the boiling water, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the water bath to a towel lined cutting board.
- Allow to rest for 12 hours before labeling, dating, and storing. If any jars did not seal, refrigerate and use first.
Nutrition
