If you are canning these pickled beans, here is a quick tip for packing dilly beans to fit perfectly in your jars.
I like to keep my beans full-length when I pack them—it makes the finished jars look neat and well-organized. But sometimes, the beans are just a little too long, and you still need to maintain proper headspace. Here’s what I do to fix that.
For the full dilly bean recipe and canning instruction check this recipe. This post is a video demonstration of how to pack your beans full length, which is actually optional. Dilly beans are simple pickled green beans.
Why Trim Beans?
When canning, maintaining the correct headspace is important for safety and proper sealing. If your beans are too long, they might prevent you from achieving the right amount of space at the top of the jar.
Packing lengthwise is actually optional. You can just cut them up and plop them in if you want to keep it simple. Trimming them to the correct size keeps things neat, and makes a nice presentation.
Note- if you are giving these beans as gifts I’ve got some dilly bean themed canning labels available to dress up your jars.
My Trimming Process
Here’s how I make sure my beans are the perfect length for my jars:
- Start with a Handful of Beans
Grab a handful of beans and line them up on the table. Keeping them aligned makes it easier to cut them evenly. - Use a Guide Bean
Pick one bean that’s the right length for your jar. Lay it next to the others to use as a guide. - Trim to Size
Cut the tops of the other beans with a knife so they’re all the same length as your guide bean. And place that handful in a jar. - Repeat
Work through your beans, one handful at a time, until all are trimmed and ready to go.
This method is simple, quick, and works every time.
Ready to Can?
Once your beans are trimmed, you can move on to canning them. This is a great dilly bean recipe. The crunchy, tangy results are always worth it! I hope you find this tip helpful. Happy canning!
