One of the ways to preserve green beans is by pickling them. Pickled green beans are delicious, but you can still level up the flavor by making a spicy batch. Green beans have this delicious, earthy, taste and it is a delight to eat because they are crunchy when fresh and cooked right. The good thing about spicy pickled green beans is that the green beans do not lose their crunchy texture even if they are submerged in a brine. It is good to have a jar of spicy pickled green beans at home so that you have a go-to side dish or an instant healthy snack if you are simply looking to ease the hunger pangs.
Spicy Pickled Green Bean Trivia
- Green beans contain lectins, which could be harmful to you. Fortunately, cooking neutralizes the lectins in green beans.
- Wisconsin is the cheese state, but they are also the title holders when it comes to having the biggest production of green beans in the US.
- The three most popular vegetables grown in backyard gardens are tomatoes, peppers, and green beans.
- The annual Green Bean Festival happens in Blairsville, Georgia on the last Saturday of July.
Spicy Pickled Green Bean Buying Guide
Where to buy spicy pickled green beans? Your first stop should be the supermarket or grocery. You should find this in the condiment or pickles aisle. If it is not available there, look for it in specialty stores, the farmers market, or from local artisanal pickle makers. You can also buy online which is convenient, but buying from the store is still better because you can inspect the product before you pay for it.
Spicy pickled green beans are in stock all year long, so there is no need to hoard and buy large quantities unless it is necessary (i.e. for catering, cooking for several guests, using them as gifts or giveaways, etc.)
If this is your first time buying spicy pickled green beans and you don’t know which brand to buy, ask family and/or friends for recommendations or read online reviews, specifically about the brands available in your area. Prioritize buying locally-made products.
When buying a bottle or jar of spicy pickled green beans, make sure to check the expiration date or best-before date. Check the packaging for signs of tampering or product safety issues. The safety and quality of the product may have been compromised during transport and handling. In any case, do not buy spicy pickled green beans with damaged packaging. Report this to the store attendant so that it is checked, and if necessary, removed from the shelf to avoid having customers less attentive to details buy it.
Spicy Pickled Green Bean Production & Farming in Texas
Green beans are abundant in Texas all year long, and most especially during peak/harvest season. Those who love to pickle simply can’t resist those fresh green beans they find in the market. Texans also love pickling and spicy food. Thus, it is not surprising that spicy pickled green beans are a popular food in Texas. If you are in Texas, you can find branded or homemade spicy pickled green beans in groceries, supermarkets, farmers markets, or specialty food stores. For example, Stanford Family Farms, located in Dallas, Texas, makes and sells spicy pickled green beans.
Pesticides, Additives, and Chemicals:
Many homemade or artisanal spicy pickled green beans promise all-natural ingredients. However, jars and bottles of spicy pickled green beans made for large-scale, commercial sale undergo production processes that might include using preservatives. Below are some of the preservatives that you may find in your jar or bottle of spicy pickled green beans.
- Sodium benzoate is added to improve the shelf life of the product.
- Alum is used to make the texture of the pickled vegetables crispy. This food additive is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
- Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are used to help preserve the pickled vegetables inside the glass bottle.
- Sodium chloride is used for preservation and to improve the taste.
- Citric acid is used to boost the acidity or the sour flavor of the spicy pickled green beans.
Geography
No one knows for sure where spicy pickled green beans started or who did it first – where and when. It is not surprising that people from different places thought of pickling green beans, since pickling is one way to preserve food, and different kinds of green beans are abundant in different parts of the world.
Packaging:
Spicy pickled green beans are sold in glass bottles or jars with a lid secured by a safety seal or quality seal. The glass bottle or jar is usually transparent so that you can see the product inside. It adds to the product’s potential to be appealing; appearing delicious encourages the shopper to buy it. An important part of the packaging is the label, which contains all the important information the consumer needs to know – the name of the company of the manufacturer, best before date, nutritional data, storage instructions, the place where it was made and bottled, bar code, etc.
Enjoying Spicy Pickled Green Beans
Spicy pickled green beans go well with different kinds of food. It is a great addition to your salad, or you can use it as a side dish for different kinds of meat dishes like steak, roasted pork, baked fish, or grilled chicken. You can eat spicy pickled green beans by themselves as a snack, or eat them along with crackers or bread.
Storage:
Storage instructions slightly vary depending on whether your jar of spicy pickled green beans is store-bought or homemade but here are some general guidelines to follow. If it is store-bought, read the storage instructions so that you’ll know if it needs to be refrigerated or if it is shelf-stable even after opening. The smart move is to refrigerate. Do not store it with the container open and without a lid; storing it like this may cause the squash pickles to go bad even if refrigerated. It may absorb the smell of the other items in the refrigerator. If the bottle or jar of spicy pickled green beans is shelf-stable, do not store it where it is exposed to direct sunlight or where it is too hot. High temperature may affect the quality of the spicy pickled green beans, even cause them to go bad.
Make your own homemade spicy pickled green beans
Eating spicy pickled green beans is good because green beans are healthy and packed with protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, iron, and manganese. This recipe is very easy to prepare.
Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
- 5 ounces green beans
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 small chile, dried (add more to increase the spicy level)
- 1/8 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method
Step 1. Measure the length of the green beans so that they fit inside the jar with enough headspace once trimmed.
Step 2. Once the edges have been cut, place the green beans inside a clean jar or bottle.
Step 3. Cut the garlic in quarters and insert them inside the glass or jar. Try to distribute evenly.
Step 4. Put the dried chile, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaf inside the bottle or jar.
Step 5. Boil your liquids (vinegar, white wine) along with sugar and salt in a saucepan.
Step 6. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved, pour the liquid inside the bottle or jar.
Step 7. Close it and let it sit until it cools down. Once it is cool, refrigerate. Wait at least 2 days before consuming.
