Dilly Beans

I have a bazillion beans in my garden.  I'm literally picking them by the gallon.  What to do with all those beans . . . besides eat them right up, of course . . . ?  Dilly-'em.  

What's a dilly bean?  A hot spicy pickled dill bean. What's better than a dilly bean?  A whole jar of them.  And what's better than that?  Jars and JARS of them.  Mmmm, yeah, baby!

Dilly Beans (Pickled Green Beans)

Figure approximately 1 pound of beans per pint jar. This recipe makes about six pints of dilly beans.





6 pounds green beans, trimmed to fit your jars 
3 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I use more but it depends on how spicy you like them)
6 teaspoons dill seed 
6 cloves garlic
5 cups white vinegar (5%)
5 cups water
1/2 cup pickling salt (use a bit more if you’ve only got kosher)

You will also need a canning pot, pint canning jars, lids with rings, a jar lifter, canning jar funnel.




Begin by inserting the rack into the pot, add the jars and fill the pot (and jars) with water.  Bring the water to a boil to sterilize the jars while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.  Boil the jars at least 5 minutes.

Add the lids to a smaller pan of water and bring to a to boil.  Turn down to a simmer once the water has come to a boil. 

Wash and trim the beans so that they fit in your jar. If you have very long beans, like I do, you may have to cut them in half.  Pack them in tight to minimize air space.

Combine vinegar, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. 

Remove the jars from the canning pot.  Make sure to leave about half the water and leave it at a heavy simmer.

While the brine is heating up, pack the beans into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace (distance between the tops of the beans and the rim of the jar). 



Then to each jar add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you want them), 1 clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon dill seeds.


Pour the boiling brine over the beans, making sure to leave a 1/2 inch headspace. 

Use a plastic knife to remove air bubbles from jar by running it around the interior of the jar. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and rings.

Place the jars of beans into the canning pot.  Bring the water to a full boil.  Process the beans for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Remove the beans from the pot and let them sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours.  At which time you may remove the rings and store them.

Test to make sure the jars are sealed by pressing down on the middle of the lid.  If isn't sucked down then put the jar in the fridge and use as soon as possible.

Let the beans sit for at least two weeks before eating, to thoroughly develop their flavor.

Firewater Friday - The Abbey

The Abbey

2 Shots Dry Gin
3/4 Shot Lillet Blanc
3/4 Shot Orange Juice
1 Dash Angostura bitters

Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice.  Shake and strain into cocktail glass.

I've been blogged!

MArooned: Fifth Annual Northeast Bloggershoot: The Movie!

How my garden grows . . . lotsa beans, lotsa 'maters and lotsa hot peppers

My morning visit to the garden was fruitful . . . literally!  I filled up a five gallon bucket with beans, tomatoes, peppers . . . plus one zucchini and three cucumbers.

I know what I'll be doing tonight!  That would be standing in a hot, steamy kitchen stuffing jars full of fresh, healthy goodness!

It's all good . . . the pantry is filling up.  This winter . . . and next . . . we'll have tomato sauce, chili and pickles.  Lots and LOTS of pickles.

WOOT!



Oh . . . speaking of peppers.  I'm gonna have a bucket full of habaneros soon . . . yay!

New Brew Thursday - Back East Brewing

Hubby and I went to the official Grand Opening of Back East Brewing.  It was a hot, sticky day with thunderstorms looming. Oh boy was I looking forward to some cold, yummy beer!

I don’t know what I was expecting but I was surprised by the volume of people who had shown of the event.  The place was packed.  There were lines of people everywhere . . . a line to get in, a line for each of the tasting stations, a line for the brewery tour . . . a line for everything.  

I’m certainly not finding fault in that.  I am happy for the brewery for having such a successful grand opening.  It was just so oppressive  . . .  both weather-wise and people-wise.

As we entered the gate we got our hand stamped, a cup, and tickets good for six 4-ounce samples.  So far so good!

I shouldn’t have been surprised by this . . . a myriad of politicians showed up to wave and smile and snip ribbons.  Yeah, they’re everywhere . . . especially during so close to an election.

 

We found the end of a line leading to a beer sampling tent and were looking forward with happy anticipation to our first taste of Back East beer.   Hubby and I each selected a different beer . . . I chose the Back East Amber Ale and he got the IPA.

Back East Amber Ale is their Flagship brew.  It had a good strong taste up front but pretty much empty of flavor on the finish.  It was smooth and nicely carbonated but generally lacking . . . something.  It was good but not great.

Misty Mountain IPA.  India Pale Ales are my favorite, so I was really looking forward to a taste.  It has a nice hoppy bitterness but is otherwise missing the other characteristics (citrus, pine, malt) of a good IPA that I’ve come to expect in a good, hand crafted IPA.  Again . . . good but not great.

We drank our beer while waiting in line for the brewery tour and tasting room . . . by this time, the dark clouds are building and I was hoping we got inside before all hell broke loose.  Thankfully, we did. 

We declined to take the tour due to time constraints.  But we did take the opportunity to sample a couple more beers while passing through the tasting room.  We also grabbed a couple bottles of the limited edition imperial stout  . . .  hubby 's favorite style of beer.

This time I grabbed a the Golden ale and hubby got the stout.

The Golden Ale was my favorite among all the beers I tasted.  It was very drinkable . . . crisp, light, tasty.  It was nothing special but it was good.

The Imperial stout . . . it was kind of disappointing.  It had almost no carbonation, watery mouth feel. Smokey but wanting other flavors to compliment it . . . like coffee or caramel or chocolate or toasted malt.

Overall I thought all the beers were good but really nothing special.  I was actually kind of disappointed because I’d been looking forward to this event all week.

Not to be a downer but I  . . . in my honest opinion, for what that’s worth . . . Back East needs to kick it up notch or three.   There are so many new and established craft brewers in Connecticut that are producing some of the best, most creative and amazing flavorful beers.  What I had at the open house simply wasn’t up to the standard I’ve come to expect from the little guys brewing fine craft beer in Connecticut.

Hubby’s take on the quality of the beer is that perhaps they since this was a free event and that the brewery doling out gallons of free samples that maybe they didn’t put forth their best brews. 

On some level that makes sense, but I would think that since it was an open house and the first exposure to their beer for a lot of people . . . myself included . . . that they would want to pour the best tasting beer they make. 

I’ll grab a bottle or two of  Back East Brewing from my local store and give them another give them another go around and see what happens.

Visit Back East Brewing's website or check them out on Facebook

Baked Zucchini Sticks and Caramelized Onion Dip

Baked Zucchini Sticks and Caramelized Onion Dip

Zucchini Sticks

3 Medium Zucchini, Peeled, Cut Into 3"-Long Stick

1 Tablespoon Salt

1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Scant 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

Olive Oil Spray

2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

Caramelized Onion Dip

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Medium Sweet Onion, About 1/2 Pound, Peeled and Sliced

2 Cloves Minced Garlic

2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Tablespoon Prepared Mustard

1 Cup Mayonnaise

Salt And Pepper To Taste

For the dip: melt the butter in a medium frying pan over moderate heat, and add the sliced onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, then caramelize; about 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the onions are a medium brown, remove from the heat and add the vinegar.

Place the onions and vinegar into a small food processor. Add the honey and mustard, and process or blend until smooth.

Add the mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine.

Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

For the zucchini sticks: Place the zucchini sticks in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt. Let the zucchini drain for 1 hour or longer; rinse and pat dry.

Combine the Panko, Parmesan, and seasoning; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and spray the parchment with olive oil.

Dip sticks a few at a time in the egg, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place the sticks on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake sticks for 12 minutes, turn over, and bake for an additional 8 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

Serve immediately, with caramelized onion dip.

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