Spicy, Crunchy Pickled Green Beans with Lemon

Ingredients

• 1 pound very green beans fresh ends trimmed
• 1 piece in.-long kombu dried ( kelp)
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt 
• 1  optional: lemon seeds removed halved lengthwise cut into 1/3-in.-thick slices,
• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns 
• 6 small chiles dried red such as thai or arbol
• 2 cups rice vinegar 
• 0.3 cup sugar 

Equipment

• bowl
• pot

Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and blanch green beans until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Drain and put in a large heatproof bowl.
3. Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in another medium pot with vinegar, sugar, salt, chiles, peppercorns, and kombu. As soon as liquid boils, pour over beans and add lemon.
4. Let cool to room temperature. Slit 3 of the chiles to let seeds spill into liquid. Chill, covered, overnight to let flavors develop.
5. Serve cold. Keeps, chilled, up to 1 week.
6. *Find in grocery stores' Asian foods aisle.