Pickled Green Beans

Written by
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
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Molly Watson
Updated 01/02/20
Jar of Green Bean Pickles

Jeffrey Coolidge / Getty Images
  • Total: 15 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 5 mins
  • Chilling Time: 48 hrs
  • Yield: 1 pint (4 servings)

Flavorful and snappy, these green bean pickles are great in salads, tasty alongside meaty fare like braised pork, and particularly good in place of (or in addition to) a stalk of celery in a Bloody Mary. For something crunchy and bright before or during a heavy meal, use them to jazz up a classic relish tray. Perfect as a snack, they'll quickly disappear from your fridge.

Homemade pickles can be difficult and take a lot of time, but that is not the case with these quick and easy pickled green beans. Because they are "refrigerator pickles," there is no sterilizing, canning, and sealing jars. Instead, the pickles are allowed to develop their flavor while chilled. Since they are not heat-processed, they must be stored in the refrigerator (not the cupboard) to keep them from spoiling.

This recipe is for one 1-pint jar of green bean pickles, which is a generous handful or two of beans. The recipe easily doubles, triples, or even quadruples if your harvest is large and your fridge space is ample.

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces green beans (or wax beans)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 small dried chile
  • 1/8 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Before you trim the green beans, arrange them vertically in a 1-pint jar to see how many will fit. Pack them in as tightly as you can—once you add the hot liquid, they will shrink just a bit, so feel free to really cram them in.

  3. Remove the beans from the jar and trim them to fit, leaving at least 1/2 inch of headspace. Pack the trimmed beans back into the jar.

  4. Peel the garlic and cut it into quarters. Stuff the garlic pieces into the jar with the green beans.

  5. Add the coriander seeds, dried chile, peppercorns, and the bay leaf into the jar around the beans. 

  6. Put the vinegar, wine, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes (the sugar and salt should be completely dissolved).

  7. Pour the hot mixture over the beans. The liquid should completely cover all of the beans. Screw on the lid and let the jar sit until it's cooled to room temperature.

  8. Once the jar is cool, refrigerate the bean pickles for at least 2 days or up to 6 months before eating. Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge.

Recipe Variation