Tuesday, September 10, 2013

SUE ANN'S DILLY BEANS AND BEETS

             DILLY BEANS AND BEETS

Dilly beans go back a long , long, way......during the Civil War, the Union soldiers were thrilled to see dilly beans at southern homes..they took all they could carry when they could...there was even a song written for dilly beans then!
Dilly beans are dilled green beans. Most gardens are about done here...and beans are giving their last hurrah....dilly beans are a great way to end the growing season. Also on the end of the season are beets, if you are lucky, you can get two plantings in one season. We were able to do that this year. Pickled beets, and Harvard Beets are two easy ways to preserve, and serve, beets
                                   HARVARD BEETS
(my mother in law makes these using a white sauce, and my guys tell me this way is better)
        Cook til just tender, 14 medium sized beets, peel, set aside.
         Mix in a saucepan:
                              1/2 c sugar
                               1 1/2 t corn starch
                              1/4 c white vinegar
                               1/4 c water
Stir together well, cook til a boil, 5 mins. ( I use a whisk, to prevent the corn starch from lumping)
 cut beets into quarters, pour hot sauce over, let sit a few minutes, then serve.
These can be made a day ahead too.

                     PICKLED BEETS
24 medium size beets, cooked til just tender, peeled,
Slice the beets into whatever shape, size you want for a pickle, sometimes I just quarter them. Put into canning jars, pack down well, leave 1/2" head space, the liquid will take up 1/4 " head space when you are ready to can.
Combine in a large pot:
                     2 c sugar
                      2 c water ( use 1 c water from boiling the beets)
                     2 c white vinegar
                     1 T ground cinnamon
                      1 t ground cloves
                      1 t ground allspice
                      3 T lemon juice
Heat to boiling, and pour over the beets in canning jars, leaving a 1/4 " head space. Seal, and can- hot water bath, 30 mins. pints or quarts. This recipe yields 6 pints.
 What I also do, when it is the end of the season, and maybe I don't have all the beets, I halve the recipe by however many beets I do have, and put them in the fridge. I use a 2 qt. jar. They are ready to eat the next day. If someone likes cinnamon more, I add a small bit of cinnamon stick to each jar. For the 2 qt jar, I use a 6 " piece.
                                   DILLY BEANS
                    2 lbs. trimmed green beans
                    4 heads of dill ( can use dry dill seed, 2 t per head)
                    4 cloves garlic
                    1 t cayenne pepper
                    2 1/2 c white vinegar
                    2 1/2 c water
                    1 1/4 c canning salt

Pack beans length wise in canning jars, leave 1/4 " head space.
To each jar, add 1 clove garlic and 1 head of dill ( or 2 t dill seed)
Add 1/4 t cayenne pepper to each jar.

Bring remaining ingredients to a boil, pour over the green beans, leave 1/4 " head space. Can, hot water bath, 10 mins., for pints or quarts. Yields:4 pints.

10 comments:

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning,
Hope you enjoy Sue Ann's Dilly Beans and Beets this morning.

It is very warm out side and raining.

Marilyn

Matt said...

Oh bummer!

I canned my last four pints of green beans last night...I would've tried the dilly bean recipe!

Got 19 pints of beans canned, which for me as a bachelor will get me by till spring.

trump said...

Now that I've just started to eat more fruit, I will really miss eating the local crop that our local farmers grow.

So canning is the natural alternative until the calendar and the warmth of the sun are fully aligned in harmony.

That sounded pretty good so I will have to remember my own quote,Lol!

Richard

Countryside Reflections said...

I love the name Dilly Beans. My husband loves Pickled Beets, so Sue Ann, do you mean that the recipe can be made as is, and not canned, but put in the fridge to eat the next day? (with a small quantity of course)

Doreen

jodie said...

love the picture of the covered bridge. beautiful
I'm from the south and have never heard of dilly beans.

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Everyone,
It is nice to see that men do canning to. I only canned once and that was some jelly once.

Getting to be that time of the year when gardens are ending. It's kind of hard on us that buy from local food stands. Soon, we will have to go to canned or store bought.

Sue Ann will have to answer you Doreen because I don't know.

I love covered bridges and maybe that's why Richard put them in here. I lived south to and never heard of dilly beans, either.

Marilyn

SueAnn said...

yep! Doreen, pickle the beets, put in fridge, ready the next day!! That is the beauty of beets, you don't always get tons in the garden, unless you plant tons, so...bit by bit...and I have found, for us, it works well, one less canner going!!!
Be sure the liquid has come to just boiling, and the beets are in the jar already, pour over , add lid, let cool a bit, then in the fridge. If you buy large beets, just try to figure how many large, would equal the 14 med size....

SueAnn said...

Matt...go to a farmer's market, or even the grocery..buy a pound of green beans and make some...use quart jars...you can can them, or stick in the fridge, ready to eat in a week...
True story, my hubby, before we were married, wanted to go on a trip with his friends, he had all these green beans in the garden, so he pulled the WHOLE PLANT up...and laid them out in a big chest freezer~~~ He thought he'd have frozen beans when he got back!!! Well, he did..sort of!!!! That was about 45 yrs ago!!!!

SueAnn said...

jodie-
I will search out the book I was reading last year about the civil war, and the dilly beans mentioned in the book- the union boys felt like they were home, when they saw dilly beans in the kitchens,See what I can find for you.
My aunts and uncles and cousins lived in SC, and dilly beans was what Aunt Ruth always made first.

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi Sue Ann,
Please do search them out. I am interested, too. I read a lot on the Civil War. Look forward to what you find.

Marilyn