Pickled Okra Dee Dees Food

QUICK AND EASY SOUTHERN PICKLES AND OKRA

Steps:

• Put the vinegar, sugar, salt, turmeric and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar and salt dissolves, then reduce the heat and keep warm.
• Divide the cucumbers, okra and onion among three 1-quart sterilized jars. Evenly distribute the pickling spices among the jars. Slowly add the sweet vinegar water to the jars and seal with lids, then refrigerate. These pickles can be enjoyed right away but improve in flavor after several days.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

EVELYN'S PICKLED OKRA

Steps:

• In each of 9 pint size hot jars (I prefer wide mouth jars), put 1 pepper, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 tsp dill seed.
• Pack washed okra into jars to within 1/2" from the top of the jar.
• Boil vinegar, water, canning salt, and sugar.
• Pour vinegar mixture over okra, again filling to within 1/2" from the top of the jar.
• Remove any air bubbles.
• Wipe rim of jar clean and put on lids and screw bands.
• Process in hot water bath canner for 10 minutes.
• *Instead of using whole peppers, you can use 2 pieces of pepper cut into about 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces.
• **Instead of using 2 small cloves of garlic for each jar, you can use 1 large clove.