Spicy Pickled Dilly Beans

These Spicy Pickled Dilly Beans are the perfect way to kick off a summer of canning! They’re easy to make, absolutely delicious and so much better than any store-bought version.

This post is sponsored by Ball® Fresh Preserving. All opinions are our own.

We’re declaring 2019 the Summer of Canning in our house! Over the last three years, we’ve continued to grow our home vegetable garden. By the end of summer, we have a ton of beautiful, fresh produce ready to use and we’re constantly looking for ways to use it.

Canning is the perfect option – it allows you to preserve produce that would otherwise go to waste. Plus, what’s better than the taste of homegrown summer produce in the middle of winter?

My mom grew up canning all the time with her mom (my grandmother). Homemade Dilly Beans were her absolute favorite. There’s something so addictive about them – they’re crunchy, refreshing and herby (thanks to dill).

We love eating them straight from the jar! This version has a spicy kick thanks to Thai chili peppers. Thai chilis can be hard to find fresh, so we used dried instead – either works perfectly fine.

Fresh garlic, sweet onion, peppercorns and mustard seeds round out the flavor (in addition to fresh dill, of course). The only other ingredients include vinegar (regular white vinegar plus a bit of white wine vinegar), salt, sugar and water.

All natural ingredients, no preservatives, and super fresh tasting – just the way it should be.

We’re thrilled to be partnering with Ball® Fresh Preserving this summer to share how easy it is to start canning at home. Whether you want to make pickles, homemade salsa, tomato sauce, jams (the list goes on), it’s surprisingly easy to do with the right equipment.

And you’ll get to create flavors you can’t buy in the store!

While some recipes call for a pressure canner, this recipe can be made with a water bath canner. You likely already have most of the tools at home. In addition to a large, deep sauce pot with a lid and rack and a few affordable canning tools, all you really need is some high quality canning jars.

Ball® Jars have always been our favorite, and we particularly love these Aqua Vintage Jars! Aren’t they gorgeous? These Collector’s Edition mason jars were recently released to celebrate the 135^th anniversary of the Ball® Jar, and they feature a vintage design, color and logo originally produced between 1910 and 1935.

They come in a few different sizes (8oz 16oz and 32oz); the 16oz size is the perfect choice for these spicy dilly beans.

Here are a few tips and tricks for making these Spicy Pickled Dilly Beans at home:

• Don’t forget to sanitize your jars before using! Hand wash or use a dishwasher to clean jars. Jars should be pre-warmed in simmering (180 degree) water until ready to fill.
• As we mentioned above, this recipe calls for the water bath canning process. If you don’t have a water bath canner, just use a large, deep sauce pot with a lid and rack. As long as the pot is deep enough to cover the jars with a few inches of water, it should be good to go.
• Check your jars before using to ensure there are no cracks or uneven rims that may prevent proper sealing.
• We suggest investing in a few affordable accessories to help make it as easy as possible to can at home. This kit has everything you need, including a secure-grip jar lifter to remove the jars from the hot water, a home canning funnel (so you don’t make a huge mess) and bubble remover & headspace tool to prevent air bubbles.
• Once you process the jars, be sure to leave them undisturbed on a flat countertop for 12-24 hours. Do not adjust the lids or bands, otherwise they may not seal properly.

If all goes well, you’ll have perfect spicy pickled dilly beans in less than 24 hours! You can store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months. Be sure to refrigerate after opening.

If you have any additional questions about canning, we suggest checking out the Ball® Fresh Preserving  website. They have a ton of great resources, detailed guides and recipes!

If you make these dilly beans, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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