My Quest for Pickled Okra

So 2 years ago when visiting Charleston, Ron and I had breakfast at a restaurant called Toast!. If you are ever in Charleston and have the opportunity to go there, please do...it is DELICIOUS! Anyway, I ordered a bloody mary that arrived with what appeared to be a SLUG coming out of it...my first experience with Pickled Okra. I was alarmed to say the least, but after much persuasion I tried it. Well hello best thing ever! I had to have more. We popped into Charleston again this summer and we revisited Toast! just to have pickled okra again and THEY WERE OUT! Are you kidding me?!

Now I am a lover of all things salty - chips, pretzels, olives, pickles...get in my belly! So now pickled okra goes on my list! But where do I find this amazingness? We live in northern Southern Maryland (make sense?) and I pass a farmers market every Saturday on my way to do errands. And what is that sign I see? OKRA!!!! Step 1 - Buy OKRA!!! Remember, now that pinterest exists I believe I can do all things!

Step 2 - Google how to pickle Okra! I found a recipe at SouthernLiving.com and I trust them. So here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

1. Okra - I had about a lb, their recipe says 2 1/2 lbs
2.  4 cups of white vinegar
3. 4 cups of water
4. 1/2 cup kosher salt
5. 1/4 cup sugar
6. Dill Seeds* - (1) tsp. per mason jar
7. Chili Peppers - (1) per mason jar
8. Fresh Garlic Cloves - (1) per mason jar

*Fun Fact about Dill Seeds - They don't sell these in grocery stores. So don't go to Giant all ready to pickle and then strike out wandering the spice and pickle isle...like I did! Plan ahead! I got mine here at nuts.com . I ordered at like 8pm & they came the next day! Shipping is a little pricey, but I thought i would be getting a McCormick spice for like $8.00 so $10.00 for a lb is actually pretty sweet! 

Tools Required:

1. Mason Jars - I needed (2)
2. Canner - I didn't have one, I wish I did...if you don't have one, you will see I used my le-cruset dutch oven with a rack on the bottom
3. 2 quart sauce pan
4. 1 quart sauce pan
5. Jar Lifter - I didn't have one, I wish I did...if you don't use tongs
6. Kitchen Towel
7. Oven Mitts! 



Ingredients - Dill Seed, White Vinegar, Sugar, Kosher Salt, Garlic, Okra (Duh!) and Chili Peppers

Ok, time to pickle! 

• In a canner or dutch oven with a rack, place your jars in and cover with HOT water. If you're using a dutch oven, you're going to have to lay your jars down. I cheated and pre-boiled some water and then added some additional hot water. It's ok for this step, this is just to sanitize your jars. Once your jars are covered, Put the lid on and let the water come to a boil. Keep the jars in the boiling water for 10 minutes. 



Everything Boiling away & Washing the Okra

• Meanwhile, in the 1 quart sauce pan, place the screw cap and lid of your mason jars also in hot water, cover and let them boil for 10 minutes as well. Everything is boiling!
• Take your 4 cups of water, 4 cups of vinegar, 1/2 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar and place them all into the 2 quart sauce pan. Cook over med-high heat until they boil. While this is cooking, wash your okra, chili peppers and prepare your cloves of garlic.
• Once your jars have boiled for 10 minutes, CAREFULLY remove them with a jar lifter. I didn't have a jar lifter so I had to use tongs. This part is horrible without the proper canning tools. It can be done, but PLEASE make sure you are wearing oven mitts - I had some hot hands from trial and error...learn from my mistakes! Take your jars out 1 at a time and place them upside down on a clean kitchen towel for 1 minute to let them cool off. 

Vinegar, Water, Salt, & Sugar - Your Pickling Brine

• After the 1 minute, turn them over WITH YOUR OVEN MITTS on and start packing your okra in. Some sites said to put them with the stems up, Southern Living didn't mention that so I just packed them in. After the okra is in, add 1 tsp. of dill seeds to each jar, 1 garlic clove and 1 chili pepper. I cut just the stem off my chili peppers - nobody told me to do this, I just felt like that would help it release the flavor. 

Packed Okra in HOT Mason Jars - Add Dill, Garlic Cloves & Chili Peppers! 

• After your vinegar/water concoction has come to a boil, pour it over the okra jars, leaving 1/2" from the top - I poured mine to right below the rim, seal immediately. 
• Take the HOT JARS **Wearing Oven Mitts** and put them back in your dutch oven or canner. and cover with 2 inches of water. Now this part takes forever! Bring the water to a rolling boil...Go read a book or you know, make a quilt! I swear this took 40 minutes for my water to boil! ...I'm impatient! After the water is at a rolling boil, let it boil for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat and let it cool in there for 5 minutes and then **WEARING YOUR OVEN MITTS** put them on a cutting board to let them sit for 12-24 hours.

Hot Pickling Liquid in Sealed Jars - Bring to a ROLLING Boil. 

• After 12-24 hours, check the seal, if they are concave, you have a good seal.

TA-DA!!!!!!

Southern Living says they will be good for 1 year. Just store in a cool, dry space. So there you have it - pickled Okra!

What did we learn today? Oven Mitts are a must! Dill Seeds are not sold in grocery stores! Southern Living knows all b/c they do not say to sub a canner with a pot or tongs for a jar lifter...

I just did this lastnight so I haven't tasted mine yet, but I did check my jars about an hour ago and they were concave! VICTORY!!!!

Until next time...