Vegetables

How to make Dilly Beans

Green beans fermented with dill and garlic into a crunchy, tangy snack. Expect about 15 minutes of active prep, then 7-14 days of fermentation, with a taste check to decide when to refrigerate.

Quick answer

Prepare the beans, mix the brine, and pack everything into a clean jar with the beans fully submerged. After 3 days, make sure the beans stay submerged and look for the first signs of fermentation. After 7 days, taste the beans and decide whether to refrigerate now or let them keep fermenting. After 14 days, do a final taste check, then refrigerate the beans in their brine.

Difficulty
Beginner
Total time
14 days
Ingredients
6
Steps
4

Safety

  • • Keep the beans fully submerged below the brine throughout fermentation.
  • • Use non-iodized salt and non-chlorinated water for a more reliable ferment.
  • • A clean sour smell is normal. A rotten smell, slimy brine, or fuzzy mold means the batch should be discarded.

Step-by-step

Day 0

Step 1: Prepare and pack

Prepare the beans, mix the brine, and pack everything into a clean jar with the beans fully submerged.

  • Set up clean equipment Wash the jar, weight, bowl, and any utensils before you start.
  • Trim beans Top and tail the beans and trim them to fit the jar.
  • Mix brine Dissolve the salt fully in the water before pouring it over the beans.
  • Pack jar Pack the beans with the aromatics, pour in the brine, and keep everything below the surface.
Day 3

Step 2: Check fermentation

Make sure the beans stay submerged and look for the first signs of fermentation.

  • Check submersion Press any floating beans back below the brine if anything has shifted upward.
  • Check activity Look for a few bubbles, slightly cloudy brine, or a fresh sour smell.
  • Check aroma The jar should smell fresh and dill-and-garlic rather than rotten.
Day 7

Step 3: Taste and decide

Taste the beans and decide whether to refrigerate now or let them keep fermenting.

  • Taste Lift out a piece with a clean fork and judge the balance of salt and tang.
  • Resubmerge and cover Return the beans below the brine before continuing the ferment.
Day 14

Step 4: Finish and store

Do a final taste check, then refrigerate the beans in their brine.

  • Taste final batch Confirm the beans are as tangy as you want before ending room-temperature fermentation.
  • Refrigerate Seal the jar and refrigerate the beans in their brine to slow the fermentation.

What to look for

  • • Day 0: The beans are fully covered by brine and held down with a weight. That gives the batch the best chance to ferment cleanly and stay mold-free.
  • • Day 3-4: The brine looks slightly cloudy and you may see a few small bubbles. Those are normal early signs that fermentation has started.
  • • Day 7 and beyond: A piece tastes lightly sour and crisp. Use taste to decide whether to refrigerate now or ferment a few more days for more tang.

Troubleshooting

  • The brine does not cover the beans. Some liquid was lost or the pack was loose. Top up with a 3 percent salt solution until everything is covered again.
  • No bubbles appear after a few days. The room is cool or fermentation is starting slowly. Give it another day or two and rely on smell and taste as well as visible bubbles.
  • A piece floats above the brine. The weight shifted or the jar was packed loosely. Push it back down, adjust the weight, and make sure all solids stay submerged.
  • It tastes too salty early on. The ferment is still young or the brine ran slightly strong. Let it ferment a little longer before judging, then serve with unsalted foods if needed.
  • The beans still taste raw and squeaky. The ferment is young. Give them several more days and taste again before refrigerating.

Storage

Seal the jar and refrigerate once it tastes balanced to you, keeping the beans below the brine. It will continue to mature slowly in the cold.

Shelf life: about 2-3 months refrigerated

Serving suggestions

  • • Eat them straight from the jar as a snack.
  • • Add them to a cheese or charcuterie board.
  • • Use one as a savoury cocktail garnish.

See the full recipe — free

Enter your email to unlock every step, the full timeline, and the troubleshooting guide. Unlocks all 47 recipes.

Frequently asked questions

What is Dilly Beans?

Green beans fermented with dill and garlic into a crunchy, tangy snack. Expect about 15 minutes of active prep, then 7-14 days of fermentation, with a taste check to decide when to refrigerate.

How long does it take to make Dilly Beans?

Most batches of Dilly Beans are ready in about 14 days, though exact timing depends on temperature and how the ferment tastes along the way.

Is Dilly Beans hard to make?

Dilly Beans is a great beginner project — no special skills required, just clean equipment and a little patience.

What do you need to make Dilly Beans?

You'll need Green beans, Filtered water, Sea salt, Garlic, Fresh dill, Black peppercorns.

How do I know when Dilly Beans is ready?

Watch for these cues: Day 0: The beans are fully covered by brine and held down with a weight.; Day 3-4: The brine looks slightly cloudy and you may see a few small bubbles.; Day 7 and beyond: A piece tastes lightly sour and crisp..

How do I store Dilly Beans?

Seal the jar and refrigerate once it tastes balanced to you, keeping the beans below the brine. It will continue to mature slowly in the cold. Shelf life: about 2-3 months refrigerated.

Related fermentation recipes

Vegetables

Classic Sauerkraut

Traditional lacto-fermented cabbage. Three weeks of hands-off fermentation, guided by clear daily checkpoints.

21 days · Beginner · 2 ingredients
Vegetables

Curtido

A tangy Salvadoran slaw of cabbage, carrot, and onion, lightly fermented with salt and oregano. Expect about 30 minutes of active prep, then 3-5 days of fermentation, with a taste check to decide when it is tart enough to refrigerate.

5 days · Beginner · 6 ingredients
Vegetables

Fermented Asparagus

Whole asparagus spears fermented in a garlicky brine until tangy and still snappy. Expect about 15 minutes of active prep, then 5-10 days of fermentation, with a taste check to decide when to refrigerate.

10 days · Beginner · 5 ingredients