Dilly Beans
In 1960 Time magazine noted a new snack that had commandeered the cocktail party circuit: “Rarely has the discerning palate been assailed by a less pretentious offering: a raw string bean, pickled in vinegar and dill. Yet the Dilly Bean … had captured the fancy of cocktail-hour nibblers on the East and West coasts and was rapidly making tycoons out of two ex-schoolmarms who run Manhattan's Park & Hagna Inc… . People also serve Dilly Beans in martinis, salads, sandwiches, cream cheese, and beef Stroganoff—and have discovered that poodles love them.” The “ex-schoolmarms” were two savvy young New Jersey teachers named Sonya Hagna and Jacquelyn Park, who'd come up with the formula and were selling the beans to specialty markets in New York. They eventually left the classroom, and their beans went on to national fame. Properly canned, these tart, crunchy dilled beans will keep for months—the perfect holiday or housewarming gift.
Ingredients
Instructions
Wash beans, then cut into lengths ½ inch shorter than jar. Fill a 3- to 4-quart pot with enough water to cover the beans by an inch. Set pot over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook just 1-½ minutes. Drain, then plunge into ice water to stop cooking; drain. Pack beans tightly into fully sterilized jars. Add 2 or 3 sprigs of dill and a few slices of garlic to each jar.
Add vinegar, water, salt, fennel, and flakes to the pot. Over high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Boil 1 minute, then pour over beans, filling each jar to ½ inch from top. Remove air bubbles by tapping jars lightly; wipe rims with a clean towel. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes.
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Does the vinegar make the
Does the vinegar make the beans safe to process in a water bath? I was under the impression that all beans needed to be processed in a pressure cooker.
Hi, Laura, These Dilly Beans
Hi, Laura, These Dilly Beans are a fancy name for dill pickle beans. When pickling, a water bath is safe due to the added acid (vinegar), but you are correct that when canning green beans, pressure canning is the method used.