If you can make cucmber pickles then you can make green beans. My mother-in-law makes the very best dill pickles. The neighbor kids have been known to stop by and ask her for a pickle, even after they have married and moved away. I have tried her recipe and mine just don't turn out the same. I found a mix one day that was easy to use and I have done so ever since. The pickles are okay but our favorite is the Green Beans. So here is the secret: Mrs. Wages Kosher Dill Quick Process Pickle Mix. I have tried other brands and they just aren't the same, I have also tried Mrs. Wages Dill Pickle Mix and we like the Kosher better. Since it is a seasonal item you may not be able to find it anywhere except in the fall.
Here the instructions for what I do.
Buy or pick green beans, the straighter the better. Wash and snip off the ends.
Pack/stack tightly into a pint bottle. I usually have enough extra long ones for a quart or two. Use a chopstick or something similar to push beans around so you can get more in. I have even put a carrot in for looks. Add several pearl onions or a thick slice of onion. Because I have small garlic in my garden I add one or two to use them up.
Make the mix according to the directions on the package.
5 C. distilled white vinegar, 5% acidity
11 C. Water
1 pouch Mrs. Wages Kosher Dill pickle mix.
Combine above ingredients in a large nonaluminum container. Heat mixture just to boinling over medium hear, stirring constantly until boiling.
Pour hot liquid over packed jars. Wipe lips, then use a clean warm lid and ring to seal. Process like pickles, 10 minutes for pints, 15 for quarts.
Let sit for several days to cure, they will look shrivel for the first couple of weeks but they still tast the same. Enjoy.
