Dilly Beans.

Our pole beans are doing great, and I have been picking handfuls of green beans every day or two. Today I decided to try an American classic I've been wanting to try for a while: Dill-pickled green beans, a.k.a. "Dilly Beans."

So I gathered up a few big handfuls of beans and trimmed them.

The regular green beans are "Lazy Housewife"; the purple-streaked beans are "Rattlesnake Snap" (unfortunately, most of the beautiful markings fade when you cook them).

Then, following this recipe, I made a brine with vinegar, sugar, salt, water, and garlic. I chopped up dill weed and onions (scallions and regular) and put them in a mason jar, adding some peppercorns and red pepper flakes.

I blanched the beans, packed them in the jar, and poured the brine over the top. Voila!

We had some extra beans, so I had my brother Harpal do a second, smaller jar of spicy dilly beans, adding more onion, more garlic, more peppercorns, and a whole chile to give these pickles a bit more "kick."

Since I only had enough beans for two jars of pickles, I didn't process them; they're "fridge" dilly beans. Supposedly they will be good for a couple of months in the refrigerator, but with this pregnant woman in the house, I doubt they will last that long!

(Now I just have to wait two days before snacking on them! That will be a challenge!)