Saving Summers Bounty

We have a fantasic famers market here that I go to every week, mostly I just pick up our fruits and veggies for the weeks meals but this week I went to get something to can.

So far this summer I have canned peaches and frozen green beans but I still have some cans to use and summer is quickly slipping away, so I went on the hunt.

canned peaches...........yummmmmm

As I was picking up some sweet potatoes for a really delicious sounding side dish I am making tonight I saw a large basket of okra hanging out in the back. The man said I could have it for $3, sold!

So I spent my Saturday afternoon pickling okra, this was my first pickling experience and its was so much easier than I thought it would be!

Instructions per my wonderful Ball Blue Book guide to preserving book that I have

- prepare canner, jars and lids
- trim steams of okra
- combine 1/3 c salt, 2 t dill seed, 3 c water and 3 c vinegar in saucepan and bring to a boil
- pack okra into hot jars, leave 1/2 inch headspace
- add one clove garlic and one hot red pepper to each jar (I did this to half of them and left the other half without just in case its too spicy for me)
-ladle in hot liquid leaving 1/2 inch headspace
- remove air bubbles
- add lids and process 15 mintues

And there you have perfectly pickled okra

xoxo
Ashlea