• If canning, prep your canning supplies first - fill and heat the hot bath canning water, sanitize jars and lids, etc.
• Wash the green beans, and then cut off the stem ends. If needed, further trim the green beans so they’ll fit in the jar – at least ½ inch shorter than the jar itself. You can also cut them into smaller bite-size pieces if you prefer.
• On the stovetop, make the pickling brine by combining vinegars, water, salt, and sugar in a pot. For the refrigerator method, heat the brine just enough to dissolve the salt and sugar. If canning, bring the brine solution to a boil.
• In the bottom of each clean jar, add all of the other ingredients and spices: fresh dill, peeled garlic, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, red chili flakes, and/or pickling spices. Also add the optional grape leaf (or other high-tannin leaves) now.
  
• Pack the jars as full as possible with green beans. Tip: I find it easiest to lay the jars on their side to stack them in there tight!
  
• To make quick refrigerator pickled green beans, I like to let the brine cool slightly before adding it to the jars of beans – which helps prevent the beans from cooking and keeps them extra crunchy!
  
• When canning pickled green beans, carefully ladle hot brine into the jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. 
• Pour the brine over the top of the beans until they are completely submerged. If you happen to run out, top off with plain white vinegar if needed.

Refrigerator

• Place an air-tight lid on the jar, and then move to the refrigerator. For optimum flavor, allow the beans to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 5 days before consuming.
• Use within 3 months for the best quality and texture, though pickled green beans will technically stay good in the refrigerator for up to a year. Discard if mold or off odors develop. 

Canning

• After adding the hot brine to the jars of green beans, wipe the rim of each jar before adding clean, new canning lids. Add canning jar rings, tightened to only barely finger-tight.
• Use a jar lifter to carefully transfer the packed jars of pickled green beans into the canning pot of boiling water. Use a wire rack so the jars aren’t sitting directly on the bottom of the pot.
• The water in the hot bath canner should cover the jars by at least an inch or two. Add more boiling water if necessary (e.g. heated from a tea kettle). 
• Once the water returns to a boil, process the pint jars in hot water canner for 5 minutes (10 minutes if at 1000-6000 feet, 15 mins if over 6000 ft elevation)
• Carefully transfer the hot jars from the canner to a cooling rack, and allow to sit undisturbed for 24 hours, then check seals.
• For the best shelf life, store canned pickled green beans in a cool dark place, such as the pantry, basement, or root cellar. Unopened, canned pickled green beans are good for about a year. 
• Once opened, store them in the refrigerator and plan to use them within a few weeks, or up to a couple months. Discard if mold or off odors develop