You can safely halve the recipe, just keep everything in proportion.

The only tested recipes I've seen for Dilly Beans call for a pint size, and you can't size up from that. There's no tested processing time and the brine is already at the lowest recommended for canning, 1:1 vinegar and water, so I wouldn't want to take any risks.

The Ball pints are taller than the Kerr pints, so work best for Dilly Beans. Their 12-oz. jelly jars also work well for smaller amounts, as they're tall and straight.

Old-timers often used cider vinegar in their pickles because it has a softer finish on the tongue. But it will result in a darker pickle. White vinegar is sharper (5% white wine vinegar can work well) but results in a brighter clearer pickling solution.

In this case with the 1:1 of vinegar to water harshness of distilled less of an issue. Regardless, the beans will mellow over time. Don't eat them until they've sat on the shelf a while.

Whichever you choose, enjoy the results!

Carol

Thanks Carol! Looks like I'll have to find another use for my pint and half jars :)

Whatever you end up putting in the pint and 1/2 jars uses the quart processing time. So use them for foods that won't be hurt by the longer processing time.

Dave

Carol, the Ball Blue Book (current edition) Dilly Beans recipe states: "Process pints and quarts 10 minutes in a boiling water canner."
I love using the 1.5 pint jars for my dilly beans =).

Thanks for that reminder. I was looking at the NCHFP recipe online.

Interesting, the Ball recipe is identical but specifies quarts as well as pints, as you mentioned.

Carol

Shucks, I bought some of those 1 1/2 jars, too, for making pickled green beans.

Pepfun1-2 - Do you BWB the 1 1/2 pints for 10 minutes? Do the bean stay crisp?

I don't know if I am going to be able to find any fresh dill where I live (at least that I would want to buy - the stuff in the grocery stores looks really old). Can I make pickled green beans without dill? Next year, I'll be sure to add it to my herb garden.

When pickling recipes call for dill, they don't usually mean the ferny green leaves, they mean the seed-bearing flower head. You can substitute dill seed for a head of dill if you don't have a head of fresh dill available.

Oops, forgot to add that I process pints of dilly beans for the recommended 10 minutes and they stay crisp. The secret to crisp dilly beans IMO is to use impeccably fresh beans. I always try to pickle them within a few hours of picking. That's basically true of all pickled vegetables - the fresher the produce, the crisper and more high quality the pickle. Oh, and I always use cider vinegar in pickling. I think the taste is superior to white vinegar, but it's probably just what I'm used to as my mom, aunts, and grandmothers always used cider vinegar for pickling.

Thanks everybody! I haven't had time to make the dilly beans yet. I'm overrun with tomatoes right now, which are keeping me busy! I ended up inviting friends over for dinner and sauting the beans I had. I might have to buy beans from the farmers market, I don't think I'll get enough at one time to have a decent batch. I appreciate all the advice and experience from everyone.

OldHippieMomma, yes I do BWB the 1.5 pints for the full 10 minutes. I've never had a problem with the beans getting soggy/mushy...although I try to do them asap after being picked. We've opened jars that have been several years old with the beans only having turned slightly mushy =).

Marymd, I've never tried them with cider vinegar, but if I did I'd only do a very small test batch as I've heard the taste is quite different.

Happy canning everyone =)