Cook The Book: Szechuan Beans

• 1 pound green beans, washed, topped, and tailed
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns, preferably Szechuan
• 1 (1-inch) knob ginger, sliced into coins
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced

1. Line several baking sheets with dish towels and set aside. Prepare and ice-water bath in a large bowl or clean sink.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the beans into the water, no more than 1 pound at a time, and return to a boil. Blanch for 1 minute.
3. Scoop the beans out with a spider or slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice-water bath. Continue blanching in batches. Remove the beans from the ice bath with a slotted spoon and spread on the towel-covered baking sheets. Blot dry.
4. To make the pickled, pack the beans vertically in a quart jar.
5. Combine the vinegar, water, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, peppercorns, ginger, and garlic in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Pour the hot brine over the beans to cover by 1/2 inch. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid.
6. Cool, cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

green beans, cider vinegar, water, soy sauce, sugar, dark sesame oil, whole peppercorns, knob ginger, garlic

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/szechuan-beans-recipe.html (may not work)