I have two HUGE jars of these spicy Cajun pickled green beans and carrots, and I could not be more excited about it!
Ever since learning to pickle my own jalapenos and sweet dill cucumbers, I’ve had pickling on the brain. Every time I have a bunch of extra veggies, I think… hmm, can I pickle this? And since I make refrigerator pickles instead of properly preserving them by canning (which is still on my list of things to learn how to do), it is very easy and hassle-free, but will still last a very long time in the fridge.
Yum… perfect for snacking, for sandwiches, and my favorite… in a bloody mary!
The first time I tried one of these bad boys was at Elizabeth’s in the bywater in New Orleans… only two blocks from where I lived. Best. Brunch. Ever. I am not kidding. If you ever find yourself in New Orleans, go here. Get the praline bacon (yes, I did just say praline bacon), and order a bloody mary- they are delicious, served at any time of day, and come with the best spicy pickled green bean you will ever have.
But, these are a pretty awesome substitute since I live 1,542 miles away from Elizabeth’s (yes, I did just google map that).
I don’t know if you know this, but we have an expert cocktail maker living in the house. Zach has perfected the old fashioned and Manhattan (both of which helped get us through the long, cold winter), makes a mean margarita for Mexican Mondays, and has now mastered an awesome bloody mary.* Between my cooking and his cocktails, we may have to start opening up our kitchen for business!
Back to the pickles. If you are missing one of the ingredients in the recipe, it’s OK- the most important things are the brine (vinegar, sugar, salt, and water), the cayenne pepper (for the spicy factor), and of course, the green beans. You don’t have to add carrots, but I did since I liked the pretty color combination and since I had them in my fridge already. This couldn’t be easier- simply put green beans and carrots in a jar, add spices, and pour hot brine over them. Done!
*A word of caution: if you consume a bloody mary during the day you will likely need a nap afterward. Especially if you are me.
*Another word of caution: liquor contains a lot of sugar. Add this to the more obvious reasons why you should consume it in moderation. Many people who follow a strictly “real food” diet cut it all together- I’m more of an all things in moderation kind of girl, and I don’t believe in cutting anything completely out of my diet. I aim for 90-95% real, clean, unprocessed food so I can still enjoy things like cocktails, Reeses PB cups, and white pasta/bread every once in a while. For what is life without Reeses?! I do not want to find out.
Recipe below is for one, quart-sized mason jar. I doubled it since I had a whole pound of green beans to make two jars. Enjoy!
Spicy Cajun Pickled Green Beans and Carrots
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. fresh green beans trimmed
- 2 carrots sliced into "green bean" size
- 1 clove garlic sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Fit as many green beans and carrots as you can into a jar, vertically.
- Add the garlic and bay leaf to the jar, using a chopstick or something similar to slide them down the sides of the jar.
- Add oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, celery seed, and peppercorns directly to the jar.
- Bring vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan to make a brine, stirring to make sure sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Pour brine over vegetables in jar, making sure to cover all the vegetables and fill to the top.
- Allow jar to cool, and keep in refrigerator for 6 months. These will taste best if you allow them to sit in the fridge at least overnight, and the flavor will intensify as time goes on.
Notes
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Julie
Is it possible to use fresh thyme in the pickled green beans?
Thanks!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Definitely! Hope you like them!
Lisa
Can these be water bathed/canned so they do not have to be kept in the fridge? Thanks
Elizabeth Lindemann
I have never done this before, so I can’t speak to this. If you do can this, or other things, be sure to do research from a reliable source regarding safety! Here’s a good place to start: https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/canning
Jessica
I loved these in NOLA! How would you make them just a little spicier?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I would just add some more cayenne pepper or some hot sauce to the mix and you should be good to go!
Sandra Corcoran
Is it possible to add banana peppers to this as well? Thanks! Sandy
Elizabeth Lindemann
Sure! That would be delicious.
Joanne Duguay
Do I add the amount of spices in the recipe, to EACH jar, before making and adding the brine?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good question! I wrote the recipe for one jar, even though the photos depict two jars. Unless you are using small jars, I would just add all the ingredients to one jar, and if you are doing two jars, double the ingredients. You really can’t go wrong here, so don’t worry too much about super precise measurements. Hope that helps!
Tammy Wolfe
Just made these, since I had lots of green beans in the garden. I am shocked at how well the carrots pickled, thought they might be too dense, but they are killer, as are the green beans! I did add a little extra sweetener as my eye kept twitching from the vinegar whenever I ate one…lol. But they really are addictive. I have to keep taking the jar back out of the fridge right after I put it back. Crazy delicious! Great tangy, crunchy substitute for potato chips! Cant wait to give my daughter her jar. Thx!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO glad you liked this recipe! I bet they were delicious with extra sweetener. Try chopping the green beans and carrots up and adding them to tuna salad… YUM! Thanks for the comment!
Jane
Hello, I was wondering if these can be done via water bath?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Do you mean canning/preserving them? I don’t see why not! I’m not much of a “canner” but there is no reason why you wouldn’t be able to can these properly to preserve them in the pantry. Hope that helps!
DM
Can I use yellow beens instead of green beans?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Sure! They’re interchangeable in all recipes.
linda lawlor
these jars dont need to be processed in a hot water bath?
Elizabeth Lindemann
These are refrigerator pickles- I didn’t properly can them in a water bath. Instead of storing in a pantry, they’re stored in the fridge right after pickling. They last a really long time that way! But you can use a water bath canning technique with this recipe if you prefer pantry storage :-)
Saige
How long do I have to wait for them to pickle? Will they pickle faster at room temperature?
Elizabeth
They should be ready to go after 24 hours in the fridge, give or take! I usually just start eating them the day after. I would not leave them out at room temperature unless you properly can them/sterilize the jars- they are refrigerator pickles, and will last for a very long time in the fridge, but may spoil at room temperature. Hope that helps!
Dawn Osness
Can I water bath can with this recipe?
Elizabeth
I’ve never properly canned this recipe, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
gretchen hatz
i just got back from nola jazz fest, and can’t stop thinking about those green beans they put in their bloody mary. green bean season has just started here in socal and i can not wait to hit the farmers market this weekend to try this recipe out!
Elizabeth
Jealous! Jazz fest is SO fun. Hope you like the recipe!