Pickled Okra

1. Stage

Prepare for canning: Put a steamer rack at the bottom of a large (16-quart) pot, and place the jars on the rack. Fill the pot with water to the rim of the jars. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes. Wash the lids in hot, soapy water. Dry well.

2. Stage

Make the brine: Place vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar, reduce heat, and keep warm.

3. Stage

Prep the okra: While the water is heating in step one, prepare the okra and the spices. Rinse the okra and trim the stem ends to 1/4 inch.

4. Stage

Gather the spices: Place all of the pickling spices in a small bowl and stir to combine.

5. Stage

Put the lemon, spices, and garlic in the hot jars: Lay out a clean towel on your counter. Use canning tongs to remove the jars from the boiling water, emptying the water from the jars. Place the hot jars on the towel on your counter. Placing the hot jars on a towel will help prevent them from getting shocked by a cold counter surface and potentially cracking. Place a lemon slice at the bottom of each jar. Add a tablespoon of the mixed pickling spices to each jar. Place a peeled garlic clove on top of the spices and lemon.

6. Stage

Pack the okra in the jars: Pack the okra in the jars, alternating stem-side-up and stem-side-down to allow you to pack the okra well into the jars. The top of the okra should come between 1/2 to 1 inch from the rim of the jar.

7. Stage

Pour the brine over the okra: Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the jars, up to 1/4 inch from the rim of the jars. Run a thin knife between the okra and the jars to dislodge any obvious air bubbles. Okra is filled with air, so while you run the knife between the okra and the jars, air bubbles will be released from within the okra as well. If the top level of the pickling liquid lowers while you do this, just top off with more of the pickling liquid. If for any reason you don't have enough pickling liquid for all the jars, just add equal amounts of cider vinegar and water. No need to heat first, the liquid will get boiled in the hot water bath.

8. Stage

Wipe the rims, then put on the lids: Wipe the rims with a clean damp towel. Place the lids on jars. Screw on the lids, firmly, but not too tight.

9. Stage

Boil the okra-filled jars: Place the packed jars back in the pot with water you used to heat the jars. The water should still be hot. Because the jars are now full jars, rather than empty, some water will be displaced. Allow for 1 to 2 inches of water to cover the jars. Beyond that, you may want to remove excess water. Bring to a full rolling boil, then boil and process for 15 minutes. Remove to a towel-lined counter or to a rack (you want to avoid putting a hot jar on a cold surface, or else the jar might crack.)

10. Stage

Let the jars cool: As the jars cool, you should hear a popping sound as the vacuum created by the cooling air in the jars pulls the lid down and seals the jars. A properly sealed jar can last in a cool closet out of direct sun for about a year. If any jars do not seal, store them chilled in the refrigerator. Opened jars should last 1 to 2 months in the refrigerator. Let sit 24 hours before eating.