Spicy Pickled Okra

Name: Spicy Pickled Okra
Yield: makes 4 pints
Ingredients: 2 pounds medium okra pods; 4 small dried chiles; 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed; 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns; 8 cloves garlic, peeled; 4 cups distilled white vinegar; 2 cups water; 2 tablespoons pickling salt (see sidebar)

By Virginia Willis

December 9, 2011

Image may contain Cutlery Fork and Plant

Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Southerners are almost as fond of pickling as we are of frying. Submerging fresh produce in vinegar or a combination of sugar and vinegar meant there would be vegetables to eat in the winter months. Pickling recipes encompass not just simple cucumbers, but also more unusual ingredients, such as watermelon rind, green tomatoes, and okra. Okra responds very well to pickling; the vinegar virtually eliminates the slime factor, the main reason people don’t eat okra. I like to use one of these crisp, spicy pods instead of an olive for a Southern-style martini.

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