Dilly Beans

I like having ready made side dishes to help make meal prep easy. As with applesauce, pickled beets, and salsa, these dill beans make a great side to sandwiches. We can throw burgers on the grill and enjoy a homemade dinner in about 15 minutes. The zippy beans are more substantial than a cucumber pickle and stay crisper in the brine. I've heard of people adding them to a relish tray, used as a swizzle stick for a Bloody Mary, or enjoying a whole jar in a single sitting.

Dilly beans are traditionally made with green beans. But since we grow both wax and yellow, I used both. The garlic and cayenne punch up the flavor. After making, let sit on the shelf for at least a week before eating.

Remove ends from beans and place in jar lengthwise.

Add fresh dill or dill seed, cayenne and garlic clove.

Combine brine ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes and pour over
beans in jars. Adjust lids. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

Allow jars to sit at least one week before consuming.

Dilly Beans
from The Ball Blue Book
makes 4 pints

2 lbs green or wax beans
1/4 cup canning salt
2 1/2 cups vinegar, 5% acidity
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp cayenne, divided
4 cloves garlic
4 heads fresh dill or 1/4 cup dill seed

Wash & trim beans. Peel garlic. Combine salt, vinegar, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Pack beans lengthwise into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1 clove of garlic, 1 head of dill or 2 tsp dill seed. Ladle hot pickling liquid over beans leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and adjust lids. Place in a boiling water bath. When water starts to boil, process pints and quarts 10 minutes. Remove from canner, cool 12  hours. Remove rings, wipe jars and store. Consume within 1 year.

Garden Update - June 2015

Hello from chief gardener John! Things are going well in the garden so far this summer.  We've had nice rains and unusually warm weather, which have kept everything growing. We gambled like everyone else and put tomatoes in early, but they are looking fantastic. The asparagus did well but was a quick, short harvest. The greens are growing nicely - we've eaten a lot fresh and just began to preserving the rest. Turnips have been delicious and the beets are almost ready!  The currants and sour cherry trees are producing well - it might be our best year ever for both.  I just planted winter squash and pumpkins from seed. I recently learned planting them a little later than I used to will help avoid squash bugs. The good weather has also helped the weeds, but I've been working to keep them (mostly) under control.    

Tasty garden sandwich with fresh greens, herbs, and pickled hot peppers from last years garden.

Montmorency sour cherry tree.

Slicing and paste tomatoes for juice, sauce, salsa.

Eggplants look great this year! Can't wait for eggplant parmesan!

Sweet and hot peppers. Several are producing fruits already!

Green Beans

Pickling cucumbers. We'll make dill, bread & butter and fresh (refrigerator).

Beets almost ready to pull. We'll eat a few fresh and the rest will be pickled.

Caraflex cabbage produce tight, pointed heads (rather than round). Good for grilling.

Quick Side: Roasted Veg

Roasted vegetables are one of my go-to side dishes. With one technique, I can make a variety of quick, homemade sides. I always have some sort of vegetable on hand: in my pantry, fridge, freezer or garden, so even if I don't plan ahead, I can have a tasty side dish ready in 30 minutes or less.

Roasted vegetables start with the same technique: Prep veg and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on an oiled baking sheet and roast at the suggested time and temperature below. If your oven has a convection roast function, this is the time to use it. The rotating air helps develop crispy, caramelized edges. Be sure to stir/flip the vegetables once during roasting.

Feel free to mix up the seasoning according to your tastes with different citrus juice and zest, herbs, spices, vinegars and cheeses. You can develop hundreds of flavor combinations!

Think you don't like beets? Try roasting. You'll want to make
extra to toss in a salad the next day.

Roasted cabbage pairs well with roast pork and sausages.

Caramelized carrots pair well with beef. Perfect with cube steak and gravy.

Crispy fries can be made in your oven. Your family will think they're deep fried!
I used a crinkle cut knife to create marcelled edges.

After prepping vegetable, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on an oiled baking sheet. Roast according to directions below stirring once during roasting.

Asparagus
Leave asparagus whole, snapping off tough ends. Roast at 400 degrees for for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of the stalks. Sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon after roasting.

Beets
Peel and cut into small cubes. Roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with horseradish dipping sauce.

Broccoli
Break into florets. Roast at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with juice of half a lemon after roasting.

Brussels  Sprouts
Remove outside leaves and cut sprouts in half. Roast at 425 for 30 minutes.

Cabbage
Slice cabbage into thin wedges making sure to keep leaves attached to core. Roast at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the wedges.

Carrots
Chop into uniform sized pieces. Roast at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Top with fresh parsley after roasting.

Cauliflower
Break into florets. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with parmesan after roasting.

Green Beans
Roast whole beans at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese after stirring.

Potatoes
Cut into one-inch cubes or planks for fries. For for more spice, sprinkle with cayenne and garlic powder. Roast at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes
Peel and cut into small cubes. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Toss with fresh rosemary after roasting.

Tomatoes
Cut plum tomatoes in half lengthwise. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Roast at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil after roasting.

Freezing Green and Wax Beans

After a rough start, our green and wax beans are producing. A lot. We love beans and find them a versatile veg that can be used in a variety of dishes.  Lots of folks preserve their beans by canning, but I prefer to freeze my beans. Seems the freezer is easier on the beans while the rigors of canning leaves them overcooked and soft. And freezing beans is fast and easy.

Just picked yellow wax beans

Beans with ends removed and snapped into bite sized pieces

Beans are blanched quickly in boiling water for 2-3 minutes

The vacuum sealer makes quick work of packing while eliminating freezer burn.

Beans ready for the freezer!

Prepare
After picking rinse beans and remove debris. Remove ends and snap into bite sized pieces (or leave whole, if you prefer).

Blanch
Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Lower beans into boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to stop the action of enzymes that cause the beans to lose flavor, color and texture. Remove beans to ice bath to stop the cooking action.

Freeze
Place beans in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible to reduce freezer burn. We use a vacuum sealer. Place containers in the freezer and use with a year.

So what do I do with all those beans? They make a very fast side dish. Without thawing, I can heat in a pan with butter, salt and pepper. If I have a bit more time and I'll add bacon (recipe below). I also use in pot pie fillings, casseroles, stew and bean salads. When preparing, remember freezer beans are not as fully cooked (not as tender) as a commercially canned bean. Substituting in recipes may yield a different result.

Let me know how you prepare your fresh frozen beans!

Sauteed Green Beans
Beans and bacon pair well and while it's not an everyday side dish, it is a delicious way to showcase your bean crop!

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cups fresh frozen green beans

Add bacon and butter to a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until bacon is cooked, 3-4 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Stir in green beans and lower heat. Add lid and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally (longer if beans were added frozen). Remove lid, cook until liquid is evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Serve.