October 28, 2004
Okra Pickles
3 Lbs. Okra
6 Hot Peppers
6 Cloves Garlic - Peeled
1 Qt. Distilled Vinigar
1-1/3 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Salt
1 Tbsp Mustard Seed
Clean okra and pack in clean canning jars.
Place one pepper and one garlic clove in each jar.
Combine remaining ingedients in stainless steel or other corrosion resistant pot and bring to a full boil. Pour over packed okra to 1/2 inch from top of jars. Cover jars with new canning lids.
Process in boiling water for ten minutes.
I've had this recipe in my collection for decades. It appears on the back of an old collection of recipes from women in the Democratic Party; it is Lady Bird Johnson's version of a traditional Texas pickle.
Unlike my previous recipe postings, we have never entered this one in competition. If we did, the most important thing with pickles for judging is appearance. The jar should be packed to just short of the shoulder with okra selected for consistant size and appearance, stacked neatly around the jar. I would go for two rows, pointing toward the middle with tips interlaced.
One final tip. When eating okra pickles if you are going to take a bite out one rather than putting the whole thing in your mouth, bite the tip rather than the stem end. This avoids possibel issues of spray.
Posted by triticale at October 28, 2004 09:35 PMI miss the pickled okra of my youth. The commercial stuff can't compare with Mom's.
If I knew how to can and had the stuff for it, I'd try your recipe.
Posted by: Nathan at October 29, 2004 11:01 AMCanning really isn't difficult. That's why my wee wifey was able, as she says, to learn my girlfriend (of the time, since passed away) how to put up tomatoes when she herself had never done so before. You need a big pot such as you would cook spaghetti in, and another non-reactive one to make the brine in. Other than that, all you need to buy are a batch of canning jars and lids, a tong for removing the jars from the water bath, and the ingredients. Information is available from your local extension service.
Posted by: triticale at October 29, 2004 12:07 PM