Dilly Pickled Okra Food

PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• Wash the okra and trim the stem to 1/2-inch. Place 1 chile, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 sprigs of dill, 1 clove of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns in the bottom of each of 4 sterilized pint canning jars. Divide the okra evenly among the 4 jars, standing them up vertically, alternating stems up and down.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the salt, vinegar and water to a boil. Once boiling, pour this mixture over the okra in the jars, leaving space between the top of the liquid and the lid. Seal the lids. Set in a cool dry place for 2 weeks.
• *Tips on Sterilizing Jars
• Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.
• Sterilizing Tips:
• Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.
• To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
• Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
• As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
• After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• Rinse okra, and cut away any bruises or bad spots. Trim stem ends of okra, but do not remove caps entirely.
• Wash eight 1-pint canning jars, lids, and screw bands with hot soapy water, and rinse well. Place a wire rack on the bottom of a large pot. Place jars upright on a wire rack in a large pot, fill pot with hot water until jars are submerged, and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, but leave jars in water. Sterilize lids and screw bands according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Meanwhile, bring vinegar, 3 cups water, and salt to a boil in a large pot.
• Using stainless-steel tongs, remove jars from water, and set on a layer of clean towels. Evenly divide garlic, peppers, dill sprigs, and mustard seeds among sterilized jars. Pack jars tightly with okra, alternating direction of caps. Leave 3/4 inch of space beneath the rim of the jar. Pour hot liquid over okra, covering okra by 1/4 inch, leaving 1/2 inch of space beneath the rim. Slide a clean plastic chopstick or wooden skewer along the inside of each jar to release any air bubbles. Wipe mouth of jar with a clean, damp cloth. Place hot lid on jar; screw on band firmly without forcing.
• Place a wire rack in the bottom of a large pot, and fill pot with hot water. Using a jar lifter, place the jars on the rack. Add enough hot water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water bath with jar lifter; let stand on clean dish towels for 24 hours. Check cool jars for the slight indentation in the lids that indicates a vacuum seal. Jars that do not seal properly or that leak during processing should be stored in the refrigerator and pickles consumed within a week. Allow sealed pickles to mellow in a cool, dry place for 6 to 8 weeks before serving. Store opened jars in the refrigerator.

GRANDMA OMA'S PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• Divide the fresh okra evenly between 3 sterile (1 pint) jars. Place one dried chile, and one teaspoon of dill into each jar.
• In a small saucepan, combine the water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Pour over the ingredients in the jars, and seal in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Refrigerate jars after opening.

SPICY PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• Wash the okra, rubbing lightly to remove any grit and fuzz. Sterilize 2 (1 quart ) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes, allow to cool before filling with okra.
• Combine the cider vinegar, water, garlic, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and peppercorns to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Reduce the temperature and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Pack fresh, cleaned okra loosely into the jars. Pour the hot brine over the okra, filling the jars to the top. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue. Store the jars in the refrigerator. Allow contents to pickle at least one week minimum before eating, two weeks is best.

SWEET DILL PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• Pack washed okra in 6 pint jars.
• Divide garlic, celery seed, hot pepper and dill seed between the jars.
• Combine salt, sugar, water and vinegar in large saucepan; bring to boiling and pour into jars to within 1/2 inch of top.
• Seal jars and place in hot water bath (water to cover jars) for 7 minutes.
• Remove to wire rack to cool.

PICKLED DILLED OKRA

Steps:

• Wash and trim okra. Fill jars firmly with whole okra, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
• Place 1 garlic clove in each jar. Combine salt, hot peppers, dill seed, water, and vinegar in large saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Pour hot pickling solution over okra, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
• Adjust lids and process in water bath - 10 minutes for elevations up to 1000 feet, 15 minutes for 1000 to 6000 feet & 20 minutes for elevations > 6000 feet.

DILLY PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• Rinse okra; cut away any bruises and bad spots. Trim stem ends, but do not remove caps entirely.
• Bring vinegar, 3/4 cup water, and salt to a boil in a medium pot. Evenly divide garlic, coriander and dill seeds, and dill sprigs between two clean 1-pint canning jars. Pack tightly with okra, alternating direction of caps, and leaving 3/4 inch of space at top of jar.
• Pour hot liquid over okra to cover pods completely (add more vinegar, if needed). Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 1 month.

KOSHER DILL OKRA PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash and drain okra.
• Prick each okra several times with a pin, or cut small slit with knife.
• Put 1 clove garlic and 1/2 tsp mustard seed in the bottom of each jar.
• Pack okra into jars.
• Put a small bunch of dill or about 1 tsp dill seed on top of okra.
• Boil water, vinegar and salt together until salt is dissolved.
• Fill jars with boiling solution to within 1/2 inch from top.
• Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

OLD FASHIONED PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• Boil 10 pint canning jars for 15 minutes. Leave in hot water until ready for use.
• Wash okra with a vegetable brush. Leave short stem. If you prick each pod several times with a needle or fine-pointed knife, pickling solution will enter pod more quickly. This may help prevent floating.
• Put pods in hot jars with stems alternating up and down for a better pack. Place one pepper and one clove of garlic in each jar. Add 1 teaspoon dill seed, if desired. Heat vinegar, salt and water to boiling. Pour into each jar, covering okra.
• Remove air bubbles, wipe sealing edge and close with new jar lids following manufacturer's directions.
• Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes at a simmering temperature (180 degrees). Immediately remove from water, cool. Store for a month before using to develop flavor.

QUICK PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• Rinse okra in a colander. Add 3 tablespoons salt, and toss to combine. Let okra drain in sink 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath; set aside.
• Put remaining 3 tablespoons salt, 2 cups water, the vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, pickling spice, cayenne, onions, and jalapeno into a nonreactive medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
• Rinse okra under cold running water to remove salt. Transfer to a large nonreactive bowl. Pour brine over okra. Set bowl in ice-water bath; let cool 10 minutes. Transfer bowl to refrigerator to cool completely, about 25 minutes. Serve.