Dill Bean Pickles

2 lb green beans,washed, trimmed to same length
1 t cayenne pepper
4 ea garlic
4 fresh dill
2 1/2 c water
2 1/2 c distilled white vinegar
1/4 c pickling salt

Thoroughly wash and scald 4(1-pint) jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs. Pack beans, lengthwise, into hot jars, leaving 114-inch headspace. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 clove of garlic and 1 head of dill to each jar. In a medium-size kettle, combine water, vinegar and salt. Heat to boiling. Pour boiling hot liquid over beans; leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; seal with hot lids and screw bands. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Dill Bean Pickles are ready to eat in 2 weeks. Makes about 4 (1-pint) jars.

Mom's bean pickles are a great favorite in the Wolkerstorfer family, where the children prefer them to buttered beans or to dill pickles. For a crisp product, pick beans at a slightly firmer stage than for eating and process immediately. Veronica Wolkerstorfer prefers widemouth pint jars, so she can pack the beans lengthwise.

Minnesota State Fair