Pickled Green Beans

By
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/24/21
Pickled Green Beans in a jar and on a plate

The Spruce / Crystal Hughes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Pickling time: 24 hrs
Total: 24 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 48 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
32 Calories
0g Fat
6g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 48
Amount per serving
Calories 32
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 221mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Protein 2g
Calcium 20mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

These tasty pickles are ready to eat within 24 hours. They look especially attractive if you make them with a mix of green beans and yellow wax beans.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds green beans (or wax beans)
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1/3 cup white wine (or cider vinegar)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons salt (kosher, sea, or other coarse non-iodized salt)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 sprigs fresh dill leaves or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed (divided)
  • 2 small cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds (divided)
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (divided)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Pickled Green Beans ingredients in bowls and containers

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  2. Wash the green beans. Snap or cut off the stem ends and tips. Trim all of the beans so that they will fit into pint jars with at least 1/2-inch head room between the top of the vegetables and the rims of the jars.

    green beans on a marble cutting board

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  3. Divide the dill, garlic, bay leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and pepper flakes (if using) between two glass pint jars. It is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe, but they should be scrupulously clean.

    Dill, garlic, bay leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and pepper flakes in two glass jars

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  4. Place one of the jars on its side and start laying in the green beans. It's easier to get them to stay lined up straight if you slide them in sideways rather than loading an upright jar from above. Pack the green beans in so tightly that it is impossible to squeeze in even one more bean. If they are loosely packed they will float up out of the brine, and you want them to stay fully immersed in the brine during the pickling process.

    green beans and seasoning in two glass jars

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  5. Bring the water, vinegar, honey, and salt to boil in a small pot, stirring to dissolve the honey and salt. Skim off any foam and discard.

    Water, vinegar, honey, and salt in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  6. Pour the hot brine over the green beans and seasonings.

    Hot brine with green beans and seasonings in glass jars

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  7. Tightly cover and store in the refrigerator.

    Pickled Green Beans in glass jars

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

Tips

  • Pickled green beans will be ready to eat in 24 hours, but will be even better if you can wait a week before serving them. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months but are best if eaten within 3 months. They are still safe to eat after 3 months, but the texture and flavor will not be as good.
  • Pickled green beans are great straight out of the jar, but they are also terrific used instead of the traditional celery stalk in a Bloody Mary. They are also good chopped and added to grain-based salads, such as tabouleh.