A simple, delicious recipe

Prepare sweet and sour beans

If you want to prepare sweet and sour beans, you do not have to boil them down. Instead, the beans are pickled in a brew, similar to pickles. To do this, you will need (for about a pound of beans):

• 500 ml of vinegar of your choice
• 500 ml of water
• 200 g of sugar
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
• a couple of peppercorns
• 3 or 4 allspice grains
• 2 bay leaves

You can also add an onion and / or a carrot with the beans to suit your taste.
Prepare sterilized screw-top jars.

1. Wash the beans and remove the tip, stem and any threads. If other vegetables are to be processed, these are also cleaned and, if necessary, chopped up.
2. Now prepare the brew and bring the vinegar, water with salt and all the other spices to a boil in a saucepan.
3. In the meantime, blanch the vegetables in salted water for about five minutes, then quench cold, preferably in ice water.
4. Put the beans in the jars and add the other vegetables as well. Everything should be close together.
5. Pour the boiling stock over the vegetables. Fill the glasses so that as few beans as possible are sticking out.
6. Immediately close the jars and turn them upside down for at least 5 minutes. This creates a vacuum and bacteria or Mold don't stand a chance.

Use sweet and sour beans

After two to three weeks, the beans are soaked that they can be tasted. Use the beans like mixed pickles or prepare a salad. Since the beans already have some acidity, you will need less vinegar for the dressing.
If a bean jar is opened, it can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days, provided the beans are always covered with stock.

Jars with sweet and sour beans, decorated with a cloth or a bow, are a nice souvenir from the kitchen.