Thursday Recipe - Pickled Okra

from WikiMedia Commons: User Manojk

My kids fell in love with this when I bought a jar as a joke. This summer, we grew our own okra. Not very much, but enough for a jar of pickled okra and a pan of fried okra. Okra has the reputation of being slimy and nasty.  If you handle it right, it isn't. It's crisp and tender and very tasty. It's also easy to grow, plus the flowers are really pretty. They look like little hibiscus flowers. I'm planning on growing a lot more okra in my front yard next summer. I can't wait to harvest more!

Pickled Okra
makes one pint

7-9 medium size okra
3-4 black peppercorns
1/4 t. dill seed
1/2 t. pickling salt
1/2 t. sugar
white vinegar

Wash the okra. Trim the stems to 1/2 inch long. I cut them in half so they would fit in the bottle better, but you can leave yours whole if you want. Stuff the okra into a pint canning jar. Add the spices, salt, and sugar. Add vinegar to fill the bottle about 2/3 of the way to the top. Add water to fill it the rest of the way.

Wipe the rim, screw on the lid, then process in a boiling water bath for 12 minutes, more if you live at a higher elevation. This seals the jar and it cooks the okra. Let the jar sit in a cool dark place for at least a week before eating the okra. If you can let it sit for a couple of months, it's even better.

Enjoy!