They’re like a salad, a veggie, and a pickle all at once. A multi tool of a side dish. Pickled Dilled Green Beans are perfect for my upcoming picnic because they are a veggie side that’s easier to eat than a salad, but have the same vinegary zesty flavor, and you’re still munching on a healthy veggie. 

Zelda Maloy shared her recipe in the vintage community cookbook ‘Favorite Recipes From Out Best Cooks’ from the Canby Mother’s Club, and I came across it when deciding what to cook for my picnic. I knew it would pair well with corn dogs and zucchini patties. They’re crunchy, zesty, spicy, and fresh, loaded with flavor and you can even munch them without utensils, which is important when you’re eating on the ground. 

I wanted something like a salad, but salads can be difficult to pack and serve, and dressing is tough to transport, plus eating a salad can be awkward, so these were the perfect solution. 

They’re super easy to make, and keep well in the fridge, so you’ll have more for later. The recipe gives instructions for actual canning, so water bath and the whole thing, but I just used a big jar and keep them in the fridge, so no need to go through all that if you don’t want to. 

So, here’s how I made mine. Before you get started, pack your green beans in a jar, or jars, of your choice. I love these giant swing top jars, so that’s what I used. You can use several smaller jars if you prefer, totally up to you. 

Once that’s all ready, combine vinegar and water in an enameled pot, or any pot that’s safe to boil vinegar in. Most importantly, not raw cast iron. I used my Staub Enameled Dutch Oven that you’ll see me talk about a ton. If you’re interested in learning more about it, click here for a post about how much I love it and why.  Or, if you want to know where you can get one, they’re available on TikTok or Amazon, so here’s a link : 

Now, add salt, and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove it from the heat. 

Now add the spices to your beans. The recipe calls for garlic, whole red peppers, and dill. I added a bay leaf since the tannins keep things crunchy, but it’s totally optional. Finish with cayenne pepper. If you’re using multiple jars instead of one big one, distribute your spices evenly, with one clove of garlic, two red peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne in each jar. 

Now you’re ready to pour the hot vinegar brine over the beans. Be careful and go as slow as you need to. Don’t worry if you have any leftover, the recipe gives no guidance on how many green beans you’ll need, so if you have liquid leftover, it’s no problem. Or if, like me, you’re a little short, just boil up a bit more. 

It’s equal parts vinegar and water with about 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt for every cup of liquid, so if you need about a cup more liquid, it would be 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Easy enough! All done. 

They can be enjoyed as soon as they cool down, but they just get better over time, so I’m going to resist tasting them until my picnic. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe Zelda, I am so grateful for the opportunity to enjoy it. I hope it inspires you to save more spiral bound community cookbooks and cook more old recipes.