Ingredients
- 2 lbs. green beans or thin asparagus spears
- 3/8 c. canning salt
- 3 tsp. sugar
- 3 3/4 c. vinegar
- 3 3/4 c. water
- 1 tsp Pickle Crisp, divided
- dried chilies
- garlic, quartered
- fresh Thai basil leaves
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Thai pickled beans or asparagus
Time: 5 minutes prep, 10 minutes cook
Servings: 4 pints
Directions
- Trim ends off beans (or woody ends off the asparagus). Combine salt, sugar, vinegar and water in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil.
- To each jar add 1/4 teaspoon Pickle Crisp, 1 or 2 dried chilies, 1-2 cloves of garlic, quarted, and 12-15 leaves of basil. Pack beans lengthwise into the jars, leaving 1/4 in. headspace. Ladle hot brine over the beans, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Run a clean knife around the inside of the jar to loosen any air bubbles and readjust the headspace.
- Wipe the rim and loosely apply 2 piece lids (the ones with the screw band and the flat part that you put in hot water ahead of time to soften the sealing compound). Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.
- Let stand at least 2 weeks for the flavours to mellow and blend. The brine that's leftover after you eat the vegetables is nice in salad dressings and stir fries.
- Yield: about 4 pints.
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Summary
I pickled green beans this way last year and we're still enjoying them now. Thai basil is relatively easy to find now, and is wonderful to grow.
These pickles make great stir-sticks in savoury cocktails like Bloody Marys or Bloody Casears.
Pickle crisp, while not necessary, is helpful in keeping the veggies from getting soft.
