Fridge Pickled Okra

Almost every day I post my "Today's Haul"  We have not had to buy tomatoes or okra all summer.

 We love pickles.  We love pickled okra too.  With the abundance of okra this summer and plants that look like small trees I am excited to try this recipe on pickling okra in the refrigerator rather than by canning on the stove.  The only difference is this recipe doesn't last as long as the vacuum sealed ones, but that's ok cause we eat them so fast.  I typed into Bing "How to pickle okra" and discovered a recipe for how to do it cold and in the refrigerator.  It was not that hard.  Here is the sequence on how I did it.

As you can see there is an abundance this year for us in the okra and tomato department.  We pick fruit every day and most days end up giving away some to neighbors and friends.





My friends laugh and say I might become the next Mrs. HEB as she went door to door selling her garden harvest right here in Kerrville, TX.

So I decided to try my hand at canning and pickling.  We had bought a canning pot and jars last summer but did not get the yield we are getting this summer between the two gardens.  Rain praise God  is the difference.   The chili pecanias in this bowl at the bottom of this photo is one days harvest.  They are so hot I can't eat them and have not cooked much with them.  I give them away mostly.  I love the color they bring to the garden.

So I washed all my okra and let it dry on a cotton dish towel, got out all my spice ingredients and my secret ingredient I was given that came all the way from Australia.  I used 1/2tsp each of dill seed, mustard seed, celery seed, organic fennel, Himalayan pink salt, cracked pepper, my herbs de Frio combination, two cloves of garlic peeled and La Barre's caramelized balsamic vinegar.

Then I cut off the excess stems and got them ready for the jars.  Since I did not sanitized the jars in my dishwasher, I sanitized them in boiling water for 4 mins then took them out and let them stand to dry.  I used 16oz of Heinz's pickle perfect vinegar all the spices mentioned above in a brine.  I let that come to a boil and simmer for 4 mins then let it stand.  I loaded the jars with the freshness from the garden.

I basically laid the jar on its side and rotated it as I loaded the okra then just filled in with what I could.

Then I poured the brine into the okra filled jars and let the liquid settle.  Then kept adding till it was full with about 1/4 inch space ....I scooped out the spices and put into jars including the garlic.  I did not boil the chili.  I added it at the end before closing the lid.......I kept having to push the okra back down as I waited for it to cool with the lid off.  I just pushed them back down as they shrank and found their places in the jar.  This one will be the spicy one with the chili pecania's.  I have one that is mild without the chili pepper.  I waited for the liquid to cool, put the lids on tight and put in the fridge.  I could start eating them they said within 24 hours, but it could take up to a week for the vinegar to absorb.  I turn them upside down ever so often and will wait til next Friday to taste.  I will let you know how they turned out.

So whether it is for you or your neighbor sharing our abundance is great.  Enjoy!