Summer is here, and with it comes the ever-coveted canned food that most pickle-loving humans hoard right down to the last bean or sip of spicy brine – dilly beans! When pickling green beans, it is wise to make as much as you possibly can as you’ll find yourself running out in a hurry… and these little spicy delights are hard to share when you only have a few priceless jars put up!
Summertime Chili Dillies- Adapted from the Ball Canning Book (yields about 4 pint jars)
Ingredients:
- about 2 lbs fresh green beans from the garden or your local farmers market, with ends trimmed to fit jars
- 4 big cloves freshly peeled garlic
- 4 large heads of dill
- 2.5 cups apple cider vinegar – 5% acidity
- 2.5 cups water
- 1/4 cup canning salt
- cayenne powder
- red chili flakes
- (optional) a handful thinly sliced jalapenos (seeds removed) for an extra kick of flavor and heat if you’ve got some in the garden that need used up at this time- they pickle up nice.
Set aside a couple wet paper towels next to your clean workstation. Okay. You’ve got your ingredients prepped, your water bath canner set up, and you’re ready to go. First thing: