These easy refrigerator pickled green beans are quick and easy to prepare and pack a bright and tangy punch in each crisp bite!
This easy recipe is a great way to use up extra green beans from the garden, or a special treat worthy of a trip to your grocery store's produce department. These tangy bright green beans will soon be one of your favorite ways to actually enjoy eating your vegetables.
What are they?
The mild flavor of green beans make them ideal for transforming into quick pickles by storing them in this tangy vinegar solution of herbs and seasonings. Green beans are equally as versatile as the more popular pickling cucumber. They can be canned, refrigerator
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fresh green beans - You could use this same great recipe with other pickling vegetables as well.
- White Vinegar - White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be substituted, but they will change the flavor.
- Pickling Salt - Pickling salt doesn't contain iodine, so it won't turn the brine cloudy. Otherwise, you can use table salt.
- White Sugar - If using apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar, brown sugar would work nicely too.
- Mustard Seeds - Coriander seeds would also be a great addition.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - Add more or less depending on how spicy you want these pickled beans. Adding whole cayenne peppers would be a great substitute.
- Whole Black Peppercorns
- Garlic cloves - Feel free to add more or fewer cloves of garlic to taste.
- Bay leaf - Feel free to add other herbs, such as fresh thyme.
How to make Refrigerator Pickled Green Beans
This quick pickled green beans recipe is designed for refrigerator storage. One pound of fresh beans will fit tightly in a quart jar and then the pickling mixture is simmered on the stove top with all of the brine ingredients to allow the flavors to combine before pouring the hot vinegar solution into the jar with the beans.
This quick pickle recipe is highly customizable, add and subtract herbs and seasonings of your choice and it will still turn out great, or use a homemade pickling spice blend. Want spicy pickled green beans? Add a bunch more crushed red peppers and hot sauce! Heck, after testing this recipe I made another batch with Ghost Pepper Sauce added to it.
Pickled Beans FAQs
Pickling salt is used in canning and pickling recipes because it is free from additives like iodine, which will make the pickling liquid cloudy. Instead of using table salt you can substitute kosher salt or pure sea salt. Since the grain size is larger, Kosher salt will not be a perfect substitution but it will be close enough that you shouldn't be able to notice the difference.
The refrigerator pickled green beans need to sit for at least a day before enjoying, but two days is best. As the pickles sit they continue to soak up flavor, so it is best not to rush things.
Canning recipes are tested for safety, ensuring proper preservation conditions, such as PH, have been met. If not, your canning recipe could make everyone sick, or worse. This recipe has not been tested for safe canning, so I would recommend limiting this recipe for storage in the refrigerator only. You can easily find safe canning recipes online for green beans.
As the name implies, these pickled beans should be kept in a refrigerator rather than at room temperature. This is not a canning recipe, so these refrigerator pickles are not going to be shelf-stable for long-term storage. I recommend keeping them in sealed mason jars, or another similar airtight container. Then place the jars of pickles in your refrigerator when they are not being eaten.
Dilly Beans
Refrigerator dilly beans are a popular pickled bean, similar to traditional dill pickles or my dill pickled okra. If you wish to create a variation of this recipe with a delicious dilly bean version you can simply add dill heads or branch of fresh dill sprigs to your canning jar and proceed with the recipe as written.
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Refrigerator Pickled Green Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Green Beans (trimmed)
- 2 cups White Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Pickling Salt
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- 2 cloves Garlic (smashed)
- 1 Bay leaf
Instructions
- Pack one pound of fresh green beans very tightly into a clean quart jar.
- Add all other ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes, or until sugar and salt have fully dissolved.
- Pour pickling liquid over the beans, place lid on top of jar and seal, then place the jars in the refrigerator for two days to allow the flavors to saturate the beans.
Janet Ralston
Crunchy and tangy, we rolled a bundle of them in a lettuce leaf and ate like a lettuce wrap. Delicious
donna m steffler
Hi I am concerned there is no water listed in ingredients? Most recipes seem to have equal water vs vinegar? Is recipe correct as posted?
BJ
How long will they keep in the refrigerator?
Fox Valley Foodie
I have not tested the longevity, but they will last for a considerable amount of time in the pickling liquid.
John C
Nice! I made some homemade dill vinigar from the garden and used it place of the white vinigar(what the hell, right?) zthese are addicting. Thanks for the recipe.