These pickled beans are lightly tangy and flavored with Mediterranean herbs and a dash of extra-virgin olive oil. They are good to eat straight out of the jar, and make terrific instant hors d'oeuvres. This recipe is for a single pint jar, but you can multiply it as many times as you'd like.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 1 pint jar
Ingredients:
3/4 lb. green or wax beans
- 1 small fresh or dried chile pepper
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 3-4 sprigs fresh Mediterranean herbs (thyme, oregano, bay and rosemary work especially well here)
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher or other non-iodized salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Trim the beans to no more than 4 inches long.
Turn a clean (you don't need to sterilize for this recipe) pint-sized canning jar on its side. Start loading in the beans. Add the garlic, pepper and herbs as you go. I like to place these right up against the jar's glass sides so that they can be seen.
Bring the vinegar, water, salt and honey to a boil in a small pot. Pour over the beans. You want the beans and herbs to be completely immersed in the brine, but also to leave at least 1/2-inch head space between the top of the food and the rim of the jar.
Cover with just enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat the surface of the liquid over the beans, still leaving at least 1/2-inch head space. One tablespoon usually does it for a pint jar.
Screw on the 2-piece canning lid. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Wait 2 weeks for the flavors to develop before serving.
This same recipe and method works well for carrots and cauliflower, too.
