Quick Pickled Green Beans

I've been craving pickled green beans, and luckily have a large batch of green beans freshly harvested from the garden. Just add a few spices, and voila - here's a way to keep those green beans fresh in the frig for the next few weeks!

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans

1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbs. sea salt
1 Tbs. agave

2 small bay leaves
2 cloves peeled garlic
2 small red chilies
1/2 tsp. peppercorns (pink, black, or mixed)
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. dill seeds

Directions:

Remove the stem ends from the green beans. Trim them so that their length matches the depth of the jars. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the green beans and boil for 1 minute, until they turn bright green. Drain the beans in a colander, running them under cool water to stop cooking. Add the water, rice vinegar, sea salt, and agave to the empty pot and bring to a boil. Pack the spices and beans into two pint jars. Place 1 bay leaf, 1 clove garlic, 1 small red chili, 1/4 tsp peppercorn, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, and 1/4 tsp dill seed in each jar. Roll the jar on its side and pack the beans into the jars. There should be enough green beans to completely fill each jar. Turn the jars right side up and fill to the top with the vinegar mixture. Cover the jars, let cool, then refrigerate for one or two days before using. These will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Makes 2 pint jars (easily doubled)

Stealthy Cooking Tip: These beans are good as a topping on salads, as a side dish, on a pickle and cheese plate, or in mixed drinks.  I used rice vinegar in these beans, and have included a photo of the vinegar above. Rice vinegar is a mild vinegar, and works nicely in these beans.