Friday, October 24, 2008

Treats


I did manage to put up some food from my garden this summer and pickled okra is one of my favorite treats and very easy to make. I know it's not a food staple, like canned tomatoes, but it's still nice to have on hand. In fact, when two of my friends came out for a visit this past weekend, I was happy to be able to include some in a little hors d'oeuvre plate we had to snack on while lunch was cooking. Anyway, some of you in Aussie land might not be familiar with okra, I don't know. Then again, you may know all about it. It is a staple here in the South, though I believe in comes from Africa, and I suppose we prepare it about every way possible. I received this recipe for a pickled version from an old plumber I worked with many years ago at one of the hospitals we built. He was a very nice gentleman and I heard also that he could make some wonderful moonshine but, unfortunately, I never got to sample that. In fact, I get a lot of great recipes from the guys at work. Most people are surprised to think that a bunch of rough ol' construction workers would be able to cook anything edible but many of them are really fine cooks. I mean, it's not stuff you would find at some 5-star restaurant but it is good food. One particularly gruff, cranky old rodbuster I know, and just love to pieces, can make some of the best cakes you have ever put in your mouth.
But anyway, here is the recipe:
Liquid mixture for 5 pints: 4 cups of vinegar. 2 cups of water. 1/2 cup pickling salt.
Place 1/2 tsp. dill seed and 1 tsp. mustard seed in the bottom of each sterilized pint jars. I also place one or two cloves of garlic and one hot pepper in each jar but you can leave out the hot peppers if you like or add more! Pack washed okra fairly tightly into jars but don't pack so hard as to bruise. I alternate placing the pods in upside down to better utilize space also. Bring liquid mixture to boil and pour over okra, allowing about 1/4" head space. Seal jars immediately and let stand for at least 2 weeks. I think pickled okra is best served chilled. This recipe is very simple and the pickles come out very crisp but not too salty.

I have also been trying to update my blog list over there on the side. If your blog is not there yet please know I'm still working on it! That kind of thing takes me a while. If you have not checked them out yet you should really go see Molly's blog, Crossroads, although have you renamed it, Molly? Anyway, she's from Down Under and writes some wonderful self sufficiency posts and just general, living a real, satisfying life kinda stuff. She's much more eloquent than I am.
Also, check out Eighth of an Acre Bounty. Now, Maya can cook! This woman writes about food I would never know how to prepare and it sounds so wonderful. She also has some great posts on living a simpler, more satisfying life and her posts about their chickens are great too! She and her man grow all sorts of food on a tiny little plot in the northwest I believe.

I'll be working on the pantry and various things around the house tomorrow so maybe I'll have something to post about. I also had an unexpected visitor today that I was very happy to see. One of my buddies from work came by so I'll tell ya'll a little about that later. Not that it was all that exciting but he did have a little job gossip.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Annie, Thanks so much for the link and kind words! I've said it before - we do what we can here but I am still deeply envious and impressed with all that you have accomplished with your home and land. I'll trade ya cooking lessons for carpentry lessons...

The pickled okra looks absolutely delicious. We don't get a lot of okra here (it is not exactly the climate for it) but I love it and snatch it up whenever it appears at a farm stand from the eastern side of the state where it would actually grow.

Anonymous said...

Thanks from me too for your very generous words. Like maya I too am amazed often by all you achieve!

I haven't renamed my page,although it does appear so, the bloody page is labelled when you d/load it, a shame but I love the pic and layout it allows.

Okra is not something that is common here, at least in Western Australia, certainly not something I've tried, and I have to admit, I am a sook (wuss) with new things lol

Blessings:)

Omelay said...

we like our okra marinated in soy sauce and grilled.

of course second to pickled

Robbyn said...

Great sounding pickle recipe! I'll check out the new blogs :)

R.Powers said...

I confess I have never learned to like okra.
Good for you on the pickling tho!

MamaHen said...

Hey Maya! Done! I cook OK but the stuff you come up with sounds so delicious and different.
I believe so far, ya'll actually grow more food than me! So, I'm envious of you! But you're welcome.
I think okra is becomig more widespread and actually kinda 'hip'!

Hey Molly! You're welcome also! and thanks for the kind words too.
I love the images on your new page and the layout too. I would think that okra would grow there. You should try it if you can! LOL! It really is good.

Hey karl! I have never heard of grilled okra. But that is so intriguing I'll have to try it.


Hey Robbyn! It is a very quick and easy recipe that always comes out well. Those blogs are well worth the time. Sorry I haven't commented on yours lately. I've just been kinda quite and you say everything so well I haven't felt that I could add much.


Oh FC! Don't like okra! I won't tell anybody!

Ed said...

Mmmmm.... pickled okra. One of my favorites that I've not had in a long time. I think next year I'm sticking a few okra plants into my garden. I haven't raised them in years but I remember they used to grow well even this far north.

MamaHen said...

Hey Ed! Yes, you should definitely grow some okra! there are quite a few different varieties actually, some may do better up north.