Pickling, which is preserving food in a brine or vinegar solution, is more than a form of food preservation. It’s a way of transforming garden-fresh vegetables, like green beans, into crunchy, tangy side dishes and condiments. Refrigerator pickles are safely preserved through a combination of the pickling-liquid acidity and the cold-storage temperature of your refrigerator. Szechuan pepper has an exotic, hot flavor that punches up this bean pickle. As the cell walls of the beans continue to soften over time, it becomes easier for the flavors to move into the pickles; for this reason, it’s optimal to let the pickled beans sit in the fridge for a few days before you use them.
Salty secret
Tossing pickling vegetables, like green beans, with a portion of the salt and letting them sit briefly draws out excess moisture from the vegetables—this moisture can dilute the flavor of the pickles.
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This recipe originally appeared on alive.com as “Szechuan Beans.”
- 1 lb green beans ends trimmed
- 1 tsp canning/pickling salt or sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (not low sodium)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
- 2 shallots chopped
- 1 inch piece of gingerroot sliced into coins
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- In large bowl, toss beans with salt (see tip). Chill for 1 hour. Pat beans dry using paper towels.
- In small pot, simmer vinegar, 1 cup water, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, peppercorns, shallots, gingerroot, and garlic for 1 minute.
- Run hot water over 4 cup wide-mouth glass jar for about 30 seconds. Stuff jar with beans. Pour brine over beans to cover by 1/2 inch. Leave 1/2 inch headspace between top of liquid and lid. Cool, then seal jar shut and store in refrigerator; keeps for up to 6 weeks.
