Lemon Pepper Pickled Green Beans

This spring, Denis brought me Haricot Vert seeds to plant in my country garden.  Denis, who has strong French Canadian roots, swears that they are the only type of green bean worth planting. For the past few weeks I have been harvesting a bounty of his beautiful green beans, long straight and skinny.  

I had two favourite recipes for pickled green beans until last winter, when Cathy visited and brought her Dilled green beans which she claims she made from a recipe in a book I gave her twenty years ago. What a memory!!  Now, I have three favourites; in addition to Cathy's Dill version, I also make a lemon and hot pepper version inspired by a recipe in Small Batch Preserves and a horseradish version that has evolved from a recipe I cut from a magazine years ago.

Denis' Pickled Lemon Chili Pepper Green Beans,  and Not Denis' Yellow Beans 

Lemon Pepper Green Bean Pickles

2 pounds of french green beans
2 1/4 cups of cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups of water
1 tbsp of pickling salts
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of pickling spice
3 small red hot peppers.  I like to use the Tai peppers
1 organic lemon
3 one pint preserving jars

Wash and trim beans to fit length of jars.  Mine are 4 inches long.
Peel  6 or 7 thin long strips of rind from the lemon, taking care to include none of the white pith and set aside.

Combine vinegar, water, juice from lemon, salt and sugar in medium stainless steel pan and bring to a boil.  Add beans and bring to boil for 1minute. Remove from heat and drain, reserving liquid.  Bring liquid to boil again.

In sterilized jars, place 1tsp (5ml) of pickling spice, one pepper and a couple of the strips of lemon rind rind into each jar.  Pack beans into jars, standing length wise and pour liquid into jars to 1/4 inch from top of jar. Process for 10 minutes.

Note: the quicker you get the beans into the jars and process,  the greener the beans remain.