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.