Pickled Runner Beans

This classic recipe has been passed onto us by VegBox reader Steve in KL. Steve got the recipe from his Nan, who he tells us "was a great old girl" who made everything, including very potent barley wine!!

Pickling runner beans is a great way of using beans toward the end of the season, when they're a bit tougher / stringier / you've just had enough of them.

Ingredients

Makes about six pint jars

2 lb (900 g) runner beans (weighed after trimming and slicing)
1½ lb (700 g) onions, chopped
1½ pints (850 ml) malt vinegar
1½ oz (40 g) cornflour
1 heaped tablespoon mustard powder
1 rounded tablespoon turmeric
8 oz (225 g) soft brown sugar
1 lb (450 g) demerara sugar
salt

Method

1. First of all put the chopped onions into a preserving pan or saucepan with 10 fl oz (275 ml) of the vinegar. Bring them up to simmering point and let them simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the onions are soft.
2. Meanwhile cook the sliced beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then strain them in a colander and add to the onions.
3. In a small basin mix the cornflour, mustard and turmeric with a little of the remaining vinegar – enough to make a smooth paste – then add this paste to the onion mixture.
4. Pour in the rest of the vinegar and simmer everything for 10 minutes.
5. After that stir in both quantities of sugar until they dissolve and continue to simmer for a further 15 minutes.
6. Then pot the pickle in warmed, sterilised jars, and seal and label when cold.
7. Keep for at least a month before eating.

Time From Cupboard-To-Table

1 hour plus maturing time

Notes & Variations on Pickled Runner Beans

You could do exactly the same thing with French Beans, and using red onions would be another tasty variation.