Dilly Beans (for My Nieces)

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 3 lbs green beans, as straight as you can get
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 6 heads fresh dill (i use the seeds usually) or 2 tablespoons dill seeds (i use the seeds usually)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne powder (up to 4 teaspoons, your taste, 4 is hot!)
• 3 1/4 cups cider vinegar
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 6 tablespoons non-iodized salt

Recipe

• 1 in enamel or other non-reactive kettle, bring to boil the water, vinegar and salt.
• 2 meantime, rinse beans and cut off ends, if very long, cut to fit vertically in jars with 1/4" headspace. (this is best done the night before).
• 3 in 6 sterile widemouth pint jars, place two garlic cloves, head of dill or seeds, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder.
• 4 now place the beans vertially into the jar while laying it on it's side a bit.
• 5 use smaller and shorter beans to fill spaces so beans are packed fairly tight.
• 6 pour boiling vinegar liquid over, leaving 1/4" headspace.
• 7 wipe rims, seal with lids and rings, process in water bath 10 full minutes of roiling boil.