Pickled Okra

In the last issue of Southern Living, one of the (only) things I liked was the recipe for pickled okra and I  mentioned then I would share my recipe. I am planning to make some more this week -- maybe several batches before frost.

I have had a good deal of okra this year. As long as we continue to have hot weather, and as long as we get rain, I think we'll continue to have okra. Every time I pickle it, it seems to just disappear. I have given some away and my husband really loves it.

The other day, he took a jar to work and he said it was gone within five minutes from the time the lid was removed. I was surprised by this but maybe I shouldn't be. Okra is a southern favorite. The wonderful thing is that okra is fairly easy to can and freeze and you don't have to blanch it when freezing, just wash it, slice it up and freeze in a bag. I will use my frozen okra for soups and stews all winter. Yum. I hope I will have enough pickled okra for my husband.


Pickled Okra

12 clean pint jars with lids and rings
Enough washed and trimmed okra to fill jars.
1/2 red cayenne pepper for each jar
1/2 clove of garlic for each jar
2/3 cup pickling salt
4 teaspoons dill seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed
6 cups water
6 cups vinegar

Fill clean jars with washed and trimmed okra, cayenne pepper and garlic. Mix salt, seed, water and vinegar together and bring to a boil. Pour hot mixture over okra in jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Carefully clean off tops of jars. Top with sterilized lids then tighten rings onto the jars. Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Serve just as you would cucumber pickles.

I often don't have enough to make the whole recipe. It works fine just when you half the recipe.