Pickled Okra
 Try this pickled okra with almost any kind of pork or beef barbecue. Put them on small plates in a pinwheel fashion with tips pointing to the center. Makes 4 half pints.


Ingredients:
1 pound okra, each about 3 inches long
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons pickling spice
4 sterilized 1/2 pint canning jars with lids and screw tops


Instructions:
1. Rinse okra and dry with paper towels.

2. Trim stems but do not pierce pods.

3. Bring vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan.

4. Divide garlic and pickling spice evenly among the jars.

5. Pack okra vertically into the jars, alternating stems up and down. Pack tightly but do not jam them in. You should get 8 to 10 okra in each jar.

6. Pour vinegar solution over okra, leaving a gap of about 1/2 inch to the top of each jar. (The okra may float to the top initially, but it will drop down. Okra should be completely covered by about ? inch of the brine.)

7. Seal jars and put into a pot with enough hot water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches.

8. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil 10 minutes.

9. Remove carefully and put on several layers of newspaper.

10. Store at least a few weeks before using..

Cooking Tip
To sterilize jars, cover by 2 inches of hot water in a pot and boil, covered, 10 to 15 minutes. Put in jar lids for the last few minutes. Leave jars in hot sterilizing water until they are ready to be filled. Handle hot jars carefully. (You may want to use special canning tongs that securely grip the jars for easy removal from the water. They can be purchased wherever canning supplies are found, in good cookware and hardware stores.)


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