Crunchy, juicy, and vinegary, pickled okra is good enough to eat all by itself, but it also makes a handsome garnish for Wendy’s Bloody Marys (page 28), Herb Deviled Eggs (page 10), or antipasto platters.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 6 pints

　　12 small chile peppers

　　12 sprigs fresh dill

　　12 garlic cloves

　　2 carrots, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise (for a total of 16 wedges)

　　1 tablespoon dill seeds

　　4 1/2 pounds small okra, stems trimmed to fit the jars

　　6 cups distilled white vinegar

　　3 cups water

　　1/2 cup kosher salt

　　

Step 1

If preserving the okra, sterilize six 1-pint heat-tempered canning jars (see Know-how, page 291).

　　

Step 2

To each jar, add 2 chile peppers, 2 dill sprigs, 2 garlic cloves, 2 or 3 carrot sticks, and 1/2 teaspoon of the dill seeds. Tightly pack the okra in the hot jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace to ensure a proper seal.

　　

Step 3

Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour the hot liquid over the okra, maintaining the 1/2-inch headspace.

　　

Step 4

For refrigerator pickles, seal the jars tightly and refrigerate for 2 weeks to allow the flavors to develop before serving. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, or for up to 1 month.

　　

Step 5

For preserved pickles, process in a hot water bath for about 20 minutes to vacuum-seal (see Know-how, page 291). Let cool to room temperature, check the seal, and store in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks to allow the flavors to develop before serving, or for up to 6 months. Refrigerate after opening.

　　

Sara’s Swaps

Step 6

Give vodka or gin dirty martinis (shaken, not stirred) a Southern twang by adding a splash of pickled okra brine in place of olive brine and garnishing each with 1 or 2 spears of pickled okra.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.