So What if Julia Doesn't Pickle Beans

There are those who think pickles are better than candy. I'm not one of them, but my daughter Adrienne is and she suggested that we get busy and make some last weekend. Well Julia has not one word to say about preserving foods but luckily my good friend Pam is an expert. Pam is a fairly amazing woman who could just have easily have lived in the pioneer days as now. She can hunt it, shoot it, catch it, skin it, butcher it, smoked it, grow it, can it and cook it. Both Adrienne and I have apprenticed under her in the past and this year decided to try it on our own.

So to make pickled beans you have to start with the freshest ingredients possible. Pam would start her day at the U-Pick field, but Adrienne and I chose to begin with a latte at the Ballard Farmer's Market. After tasting all the beans at the market we bought 28 pounds of the freshest imaginable plus 2 bunches of equally fresh dill and a jar of already peeled garlic.

We prefer wide mouth pints for our beans, and assuming your jars are already clean, they should be put in the dishwasher, without soap, and the cycle started. Then the beans should be dumped into the sink with cold water, rinsed, and cut to fit into a jar with the pointed end down and the cut end extending to about 3/4 inch from the top of the jar. In addition the dill needs to be washed and the flower ends cut off and put in a bowl and the same thing done to the feathered parts, plus the garlic cloves cut in half. While those tedious task are going on make brine out of 1 quart of 5% cider vinegar, 2 quarts of water and 3/4 cup canning salt, brought to a boil and left to barely simmer on the stove. Next fill your canner full enough that the water will completely cover the jars plus another inch, and get that boiling.

Now take the jars out of the dishwasher as needed (the cycle doesn't need to have finished) and put 3 half cloves of garlic and a small handful of the feathered dill plus 1/8 t. red pepper flakes in the bottom of each jar. Then beautifully fill the jars with the beans so that they are all standing on end and add a dill flower to the top. Just before you get 7 done, put the lids in very warm water to soften the sealer. Then fill the jars with enough brine to just cover the beans but not completely full, making sure none of the dill is protruding onto the lip of the jar (which would effect the seal). Then place a lid on the top and secure it in place with a hand tightened screw band. When all 7 jars are ready, and the canner is boiling, put the rack in the canner resting at the half way point and gently load the jars into the rack (being ever careful not to spill boiling water on yourself). Then gently and carefully lower the rack to the bottom of the canner, put the lid on it and set the timer to 5 minutes. When the time is up carefully raise the rack and set it and its contents on a towel placed on your counter top. When they have cooled just enough to take out of the rack, set them to cool and begin your next batch. One of the great joys of canning is listening for the 'pop' as they begin sealing, which will begin in about 15 minutes. The jars should be stored in a cool dry place and will be ready for eating in about a month. The 28 pounds of beans will make about 60 pints of fabulous pickled beans. Any jars that do not seal should be discarded.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Pam's Pickled Beans