This recipe is for quick-pickled Szechuan beans from Sherri Brooks Vinton's book Put 'em Up! takes the green bean's snappiness and pairs it with the numbing heat of Szechuan peppercorns for a jar of beans that are great side dish and won't last long in the fridge.

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 min.

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.