Lee's Pickled Okra

Fruitless love?

Today’s rambling hopefully will inspire maybe just one of you to follow in the path of our ancestors in the art of preservation.

You see, today’s recipe reminds me of an episode of one of the few sitcoms I watch on the tube, In the Middle. The Mother’s Day episode where Frankie (the mother) gets to have ‘her day’, breakfast in bed (a disaster), a visit from her mother (Pat) who doesn’t show and Frankie’s loving family giving her at the last minute a useless inflatable foot massager. So Frankie decides to drive hours to spend the afternoon with Pat so she would not be alone which is what Pat really wanted in the first place. Well, things start to blow after Frankie gives her mother her gift, a brand new food dehydrator that from the look on Pat’s face is almost as nice as the foot massager. Finally, Pat tells Frankie relatively frankly how useless the gift really is … think about if Frankie, why would anyone spend $4.99 on a pound of grapes, days and electricity to produce what comes from a 99 cent box of raisins.

Well, be it love or just craziness, sometimes putting away your foods as in canning is just a good thing. And that’s what today recipe is about folks. I know we all can reach on that shelf in the grocer and purchase a jar of pickled okra but I guarantee you, it won’t have that same taste, it won’t be made with love and it won’t be my sister’s recipe. That is what makes all the difference. Enjoy!

Lee’s Pickled Okra
makes 9 pints
 
2 pounds young okra pods
1 quart white vinegar
1 quart water
9 garlic cloves peeled
9 fresh hot peppers -split in half
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons pickling salt
1/3 cup mustard seed
3 tablespoons whole dill seed
1 tablespoon celery seed

Wash pods under cold water, cut off bottom and leave 1/3 of cap on pod. Cover with ice and water for 1 hour.
Drain, pat dry and place in pint size sterilized jars, caps down. Leave 3/4 inch space from okra and top of jar, trim if necessary. Place 1 pepper pod & 1 garlic clove in each jar.
In a large pot add the rest of ingredients and bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, divide evenly the spices among the jars and cover pods with hot liquid leaving 1/2 inch from top of jar. Shake to remove air pockets. Secure lids and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool before storing for at least 4 weeks before opening.

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