Go Back
Easy Homemade Dilly Beans with Vinegar & Pickling spice

Easy Homemade Dilly Beans with Vinegar & Pickling Spice

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Condiment, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 jars (about 8 cups pickles total), ~16–20 individual beans per jar

Equipment

  • 4 × 16‑oz clean canning jars with lids & bands
  • Large stockpot with rack for boiling water bath
  • Small saucepan for heating brine
  • Jar lifter & funnel
  • Clean towel for wiping rims & handling hot jars

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs fresh green beans trimmed (choose crisp, straight beans about 4–5″ long)
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
  • 1/4 cup pickling salt or kosher salt no iodine
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and slightly crushed
  • 1 T pickling spice blend with mustard seeds, peppercorns, coriander, bay leaf
  • 4 sprigs fresh dill about 2–3″ each
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional, for Spicy Dilly Beans
  • ½ tsp black peppercorns

Optional add-ins: 4 dried chili peppers, 8 pickling cucumber slices (for crunch)

Instructions
 

Prep the Beans & Jars

  1. Wash the green beans, trim off the stem ends, snapping each bean into 4″–5″ lengths if needed.
  2. Sterilize jars: Place jars and lids in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Keep warm until filling.

Pack the Jars

  1. Place 1 dill sprig, 1 crushed garlic clove, ¼ tsp black peppercorns, a pinch of red pepper flakes (if spicing), and ¼ T pickling spice in each jar.
  2. Pack beans vertically and tightly into jars, leaving about ½″ headspace.

Make the Brine

  1. In the small saucepan, combine water, vinegar, and pickling salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt dissolves.

Fill & Remove Air Bubbles

  1. Use the funnel to fill each jar with hot brine, ensuring beans are fully submerged (up to ½″ from the top).
  2. Gently tap jars or run a nonmetallic utensil along the inside to release air bubbles.
  3. Wipe the rims clean, center the lid, and screw on the band fingertip-tight.

Process in Canner

  1. Place jars in the boiling water bath, water 1–2″ above tops.
  2. Process for 10 minutes at a rolling boil.
  3. Carefully remove jars and let them cool upright on a towel for 12–24 hours—lids should pop.

Wait & Enjoy

  1. Let the dilly beans sit for at least 48 hours before eating—this ensures optimal flavor infusion.
  2. Store in your pantry for up to 1 year. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 1 month.