Homemade beans are always a treat. As a rule, the beans are not seasoned much when they are preserved, apart from a little s alt. An interesting variant here is to preserve the green pods sweet and sour. They are then suitable as a tasty side dish or for a bean salad.
How can I can sweet and sour beans?
To cann sweet and sour beans, you need vinegar, water, sugar, s alt, mustard seeds, peppercorns, allspice seeds, bay leaves and, if necessary, onions and carrots. The beans are cleaned, blanched and placed in sterilized screw-top jars with the spices. After 2-3 weeks they can be eaten.
Preparing sweet and sour beans
If you want to prepare sweet and sour beans, you don't have to boil them down. Instead, the beans are marinated in a broth, similar to gherkins. To do this you will need (for about a pound of beans):
- 500 ml vinegar of your choice
- 500 ml water
- 200 g sugar
- 2 tbsp s alt
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- a few peppercorns
- 3 or 4 allspice seeds
- 2 bay leaves
Depending on your taste, you can also add an onion and/or a carrot with the beans. Prepare sterilized screw-top jars.
- Wash the beans and remove the tip, stem and any threads. If additional vegetables are to be processed, they will also be cleaned and chopped if necessary.
- Now prepare the stock and bring vinegar, water with s alt and all other spices to the boil in a pot.
- Meanwhile, blanch the vegetables in s alt water for about five minutes, then rinse them cold, preferably in ice water.
- Put the beans in the jars and add the other vegetables too. Everything should be nice and close together.
- Pour the boiling stock over the vegetables. Fill the jars so that no beans are sticking out.
- Close the jars immediately and turn them upside down for at least 5 minutes. This creates a vacuum and bacteria or mold have no chance.
Use sweet and sour beans
After two to three weeks, the beans will have matured to the point where they can be tasted. Use the beans like mixed pickles or make a salad. Since the beans already have a certain acidity, you need less vinegar for the dressing. Once a jar of beans is opened, it will last three to four days in the refrigerator, provided that the beans are always covered with stock.
Jars with sweet and sour beans, decorated with a cloth or a bow, are a nice souvenir from the kitchen.