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How to make pickled dilled okra - made easy, and illustrated!
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This month's notes: May 2008: Spring is here!: strawberries are here in the deep South and are peaking or fading in California, Texas and Florida!  Find a strawberry festival near you! And see mid summer Blueberry festivals here. Organic farms are still not common, but any that are, have the word ORGANIC by their name! Check out my easy canning directions, and canning equipment or How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals
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• 7 lbs small okra pods - fresh, crisp - not wilted, soft or overripe!
• 6 small hot peppers
• 4 tsp dill seed
• 8 to 9 garlic cloves
• 2/3 cup canning or pickling salt
• 6 cups water
• 6 cups vinegar (5%, apple cider vinegar works well.  Store brand is about $1.25 for a 64 oz bottle.
• Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars) 
• Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water where you sterilize them. ($2 at WalMart, Target, and sometimes at grocery stores)
• Jar funnel ($2 at WalMart, Target, and sometimes at grocery stores)

• 1 large pots; teflon lined, glass or ceramic.
• Large spoons and ladles
• 1 Canner (a huge pot to sterilize the jars after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at WalMart (seasonal item).  Note: we sell many sizes and types of canners for all types of stoves and needs - see canning supplies
• Pint canning jars (Ball or Kerr jars can be found at Publix and WalMart - about $8 per dozen jars including the lids and rings).  Be sure to get wide mouth jars to fit the pickles in!  Pint size works best! 
• Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar.  They may only be used once.
• Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars.  They may be reused many times.

Step 1 - Selecting the okra

It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality okra!  

At right is a of picture okra from my garden - it is SO easy to grow.

Step 2 - How much okra?

It takes about 1 lb of okra to fill a pint jar. 

Step 3 -Wash and cut the okra!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit in plain cold water.

You will need to cut the ends off (about 1/4 inch).

Step 4 - Get the jars and lids sterilizing

The dishwasher is fine for the jars.  I get that going while I'm preparing everything else, so it's done by the time I'm ready to fill the jars. Be sure to let it go through the rinse cycle to get rid of any soap!  It's also a good time to start heating up the water in the canner and the small pan of water to boil the lids.

 Lids:  put the lids into a pan of boiling water for at least several minutes. Note: everything gets sterilized in the water bath (step 7) anyway, so this just helps to ensure there is no spoilage later!)

Need lids, rings and replacement jars? 

Get them all here, delivered direct to your home,  at the best prices on the internet! 

Step 5 - Fill the jars with okra

Fill jars firmly with whole okra, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Step 6 - Add the Garlic

Place 1 garlic clove in each jar.

Step 7 - Mix and heat the other ingredients

Combine the salt, hot peppers, dill seed, water, and vinegar in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Be sure to use a NON-metal pot - or a coated metal (teflon, silverstone, enamel, etc.) without breaks in the coating. the metal reacts with the vinegar and makes the pickle solution turn cloudy.

Step 8 - Fill the jars with solution and put the lid and rings on

Pour hot pickling solution over okra, leaving 1/4 to 1/2-inch headspace. You'll notice that it appears to be bubbling as the solution percolates down inside the okra, which have cavities.  You'll need to wait a few minutes and add more solution. then seat the lid and hand-tighten the ring around  them.  

Step 9 - Boil the jars in the canner

Put the jars in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Boil them for 10 minutes.  Remember to adjust for altitudes and larger jars - see the table below! 

Processing time for Pickled Dilled Okra in a boiling-water canner.
Process Time at Altitudes of
0 - 1,000 ft	1,001 - 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
10 minutes	15 minutes	20 minutes

 

Step 9 - Done

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight)  You can then remove the rings if you like.

When can you start eating the okra?  Well, it takes some time for the seasonings to be absorbed into the pickles.  Generally, that's about 2 or 3 days!  Ah... the wait...

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

1. Jar lifting tongs 
           to pick up hot jars
2. Lid lifter 
           - to remove lids from the pot 
           of boiling water (sterilizing )
3. Lid 
          - disposable - you may only 
          use them once
4. Ring 
         - holds the lids on the jar until after
         the jars cool - then you don't need them
5. Canning jar funnel
         - to fill the jars

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of  standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce!. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!
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Type of pickling method