These refrigerator pickled green beans are an easy way to preserve some of your garden fresh beans. Pickling them extends the shelf life of fresh beans, allowing you to keep them for months.
Be sure to try making these fermented cauliflower pickles for something a little bit different.
Originally published in July, 2016; this post has been updated.
Pickling is one of the easiest ways to preserve some of your garden bounty, whether you’re processing your pickles to be shelf stable or just whipping up a batch of refrigerator pickles.
These refrigerator pickled green beans are my new go-to for pickling. They’re easy to make in small batches as beans from the garden ripen.
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Refrigerator Pickled Green Beans
This particular recipe makes a small batch of pickled green beans and doesn’t need to be processed in a water bath canner. They’re refrigerator pickles. That means it’s an easy project for those of you who are new to the idea of preserving your garden harvest. These pickles will last for months in the fridge.
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And this is an easy pickle recipe. It took me about half an hour to put up this quick pickled green beans recipe — faster, even, than a trip to the grocery store!
Ingredients
Green beans — You can use any variety of green bean for pickling. Whatever you’re growing for the dinner table will also work for making these refrigerator dilly beans. Choose fresh green beans that are unblemished. If you’re growing several different kinds of green beans, don’t hesitate to combine them here.
Vinegar — I used apple cider vinegar in this recipe. Be mindful of this little tidbit when buying apple cider vinegar.
Dill — You can make this recipe with fresh or dried dill, whichever you have available.
Sugar — Use your favorite brand of granulated cane sugar. I prefer organic.
Seasonings — Fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt round out the flavors in this recipe. If you prefer less spicy dilly beans, you can omit the pepper flakes.
Prepping the Green Beans
Wash and trim the ends. If you’re using a quart-size jar, you shouldn’t need to cut the beans any shorter. Long beans may need to be trimmed to fit into a pint-size jar.
Filling the Jars
If you’re new to pickling and filling jars, worry not. It’s easy. Just tilt the jar as you fill it, to keep the beans pointing in mostly the same direction. This allows you to get more in the jar than just putting them in all catty-wampus.
You can use upcycled glass jars for this recipe, since you won’t be processing the jars full of beans.
Once the jars are filled, bring the water, vinegar sugar, salt, and pepper flakes to a boil. Pour the hot liquid over the beans in the jars. Use a knife to release any air bubbles. Add more brine if necessary to make sure the beans are submerged, screw on a lid, and refrigerate for at least a week before trying them.
Here’s how to make shelf stable pickled green beans that can be stored at room temperature if you’d like to save space in the fridge!
Using these Quick Pickled Beans
Having a jar or three of these crunchy pickles on hand allows you to add flavor to your menu.
- Chop finely and use them as you would dill pickles in potato salad, tuna salad, or egg salad.
- Add them to a charcuterie board.
- Use them to garnish a Bloody Mary.
- Snack on these green bean pickles straight out of the jar.
★ Did you make these dilly green beans? Don’t forget to give them a star rating below! ★
Quick Pickled Green Beans
Ingredients
- 3 pounds green beans
- 8 sprigs fresh dill
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups apple cider or white wine vinegar
- 4 teaspoons granulated organic cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Fill a large stock pot with about a gallon of water and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, wash and trim the ends from beans.3 pounds green beans
- When the water comes to a boil, drop the beans into the pot and cook 8-10 minutes, until crisp but tender.
- Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking process.
- Pack beans into glass jars, snug but not too snug (you'll fill 3-4 pint jars, depending on how tightly you pack the beans).
- Divide the dill and garlic between the jars.8 sprigs fresh dill, 4 cloves garlic
- Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil. Using a canning funnel, pour liquid over the beans. Use a butter knife to release any air bubbles. Make sure beans are completely submerged.2 cups water, 2 cups apple cider or white wine vinegar, 4 teaspoons granulated organic cane sugar, 2 tablespoons sea salt, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Secure the lid; refrigerate for at least a week before serving.
Notes
- If you do not have fresh dill, you can substitute 2 tablespoons dried dill weed, divided evenly between the jars.
- You do not need to use canning jars for these quick pickled beans as they aren't processed to be shelf stable. This is a great time to reuse your upcycled glass jars!
- My recipe is adapted from one found in Kids and Grandparents: An Activity Book.
Super yummy and quite easy. I have used this for beans and cucumbers . I actually used white vinegar as that is what I had on hand. Loved then … might just pickles other veggies in this brine!
Glad you loved it!
Just sharing something I learned the hard way. If you want crunchy pickles or beans use distilled water rather than well water or treated town water. I made these a bit hotter with the addition if a cayenne pepper and they’re awesome!
Sounds delicious!
Can I process them so they stay good on the self and not in refrigerator?
Try my easy pickled green beans canning recipe for storing in the pantry!
https://www.attainable-sustainable.net/pickled-green-beans/
How long will this recipe last in the fridge?
Many months!
Good job.
Lovely recipe. I am going to make it as soon as I have a glut of them from the allotment.
Thanks for sharing.
I had a lot of kale and beet stems lying around and I didn’t want to waste them so I used your brine recipe and packed three jars of the raw stems, and they turned out so well! I love the flavor. Will definitely be making them again! Thanks!
I never thought of pickling kale stems. This is going to be a must-do this fall. Thanks for the tip.
I just made these and it’s so easy. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
You said any variety of green bean. Does that mean you can’t pickle purple pole beans?
Purple pole beans are fine!
Can you store these on the shelf, or do you have to keep in refrigerator?
They aren’t processed to be shelf stable, but they will last for months in the fridge.
It works fine without the sugar
Yummy and easy to make.
Can I raw pack the beans (without blanching) and pour the boiling brine over my beans in their jars? I have a batch made and all the tops sealed…I wanted them crunchier:)
I’ve tried this, but they ended up really tough.
I am on the autoimmune protocol, specifically to try to re-set my insulin resistance problem. With that protocol, no sugar! Have any advice about using this recipe with an alternate sweetener, like stevia? Would that work?
If it were me, I’d try it without the sugar at all.
What a nice recipe! How long will these stay good to eat?
Because of the vinegar content, they’ll keep pretty indefinitely. Kind of like dill pickles. (Let us know how they turn out!)
I’ve done this using Sandor Katz’s recipe, which looks the same. they’re very good. got here from simple lives thursday.
I am making these now. I was wondering if you know how long they keep in the refrigerator? We are down to a household of 3 and I know I’ll love them, just not sure about the other 2.
Because of the vinegar content, they’ll keep pretty indefinitely. Kind of like dill pickles. (Let us know how they turn out!)
I’ve never had these – they sound really good. When we get an excess here in late summer I’ll try it.
Oh those look gorgeous. And with the garlic and dill – yummy. I love green beans.
These sound so good. I’ve never been a big fan of canning green beans and usually just blanch and freeze them, but this is going to get tested out in my kitchen this year.
Mike, I don’t can green beans, either, because of the low-acid factor. I really like this way of preserving them and have had better luck with these than regular pickles.
Great pix. These sound really good. Alas, our beans are just now coming up. We won’t have any produce for quite some time.
Roxanne, you know where to find the recipe when your beans are ready!