Pickled Okra

Whenever I buy a can of okra I would rather just eat the okras right out of the can than actually cook with them. They are so delicious and because they add a tomato in there (for freshness, preservation? I don't know) but it adds that note of acidity and I just absolutely love it!

Later browsing through a foodie forum I frequent someone mentioned pickled okra, I was like "WAIT! Pickled Okra?" I've never heard of it but if it was going to be anything like those canned okras I'm in!

Middle Easterners love okra, the kids, the adults.. everyone, we all love it, it's a regular dish on all our tables especially stewed with tomatoes and beef eaten over rice (or couscous) It is the perfect okra recipe in my opinion.

Recently I tried an indian okra recipe, and I liked that too very much, in fact I'm going to make some with the leftovers that wouldn't fit in the jar :)

So here it is, I've added a few twists of my own and we'll see how it tastes in 10 days!

Pickled Okra

- 1 mason jar

- 1 pound young, small or tender okra pods

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 1 small tomato (makes sure it's small enough to fit through the top of the jar)

- 1/2 tsp pepper corns

- 2 tbsp kosher or pickling salt

- 1 cup water

- 1 cup vinegar

Run your jars through the dishwasher or clean and dry them well by hand. Set aside.

Wash your okras well and dry. Prepare all your other ingredients.

In a small saucepan bring these ingredients to a boil:

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar

2 tbsp kosher or pickling salt

In the jar:

Add your tomato, garlic cloves, peppercorns and begin to arrange the okras inside. Once they are all packed in and your mixture above has come to a roaring boil then slowly pour it over the okra in the jar.

Tap the sides so all the bubbles can be released and then once you don't see any more top it off with any extra liquid. Close and set aside until it cools down to room temperature.

Put the jar in the fridge at this point for 10 days! They should last in the fridge for 1 month for you to enjoy!

*Feel free to change the recipe around if you want to add more garlic or other pickling spices or dill. I wanted it very simple and inspired by my canned okras.

Thanks to A couple cooks for the inspiration and guidelines for the recipe.

Below you'll also see an update on my turnip pickles (recipe!), it's been 10 days and the colour is amazing! I think my jar is darker than the one I made for my sisters. I left the lid slightly loose so the gases could escape and now when I go to check on it I'd say it smells just about right, the way I remember it. In 4 days it'll go into the fridge too and probably be ready to enjoy shortly after that. :)

Pink Turnip Pickles (Arabic & English)

مخلل اللفت و الشمندر
المقادير:


5 ملعقة كبيرة ملح خشن ( ملح ذو الحبوب الكبيره )
من ملعقة طعام الى اثنان خل
ملعقة صغيره سكر
لتر ماء
حبة شمندر ( بنجر ) لكل لتر من ماء التخليل
لفت


الطريقة:

- قطعي اللفت حسب الرغبة , قطعي الشمندر أيضاً حسب الذوق .
- تحضير ماء التخليل :
- امزجي السكر و الخل و الماء .
- اضيفي الملح بالتدريج . ضعي ملعقة من الملح و قلبي ليذوب الملح , و لمعرفة المقدار المناسب من الملح احضري بيضه نظيفة و ضعيها في الماء المملح ستلاحظين أنها ستكون في اسفل المرطبان الزجاجى و سترتفع كلما اضفت ملعقة جديدة من الملح , اضيفي ملعقة أخرى من الملح و حركي و هكذا حتى تصل البيضة إلى منتصف المرطبان الزجاجي وليس اكثر والا اصبح المخلل مالحا جداً .
- اضيفي اللفت و حبة الشمندر و اغلقي المرطبان باحكام لمدة اسبوعان .

Pickled Turnip and beet

5 tbsp coarse pickling salt

between 1 - 2 big eating tbsp of vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 beet (per each litre of water) I used 2, that's 1 per jar

Turnips ** I used 4

Directions:

Cut the Turnips and beets in whichever way you desire.

Prepare the brine for pickling:

- Mix sugar and vinegar and water

- Add salt little by little, so 1 tbsp at a time (mixing to dissolve)

To know the proper amount of salt in the water bring a raw clean egg (in it's shell) and gently lower it into the water.

The egg will start off at the bottom, making it's way up in the water with the more salt you add into the brine.

It should neither float nor silk, so it should be suspended in the middle of the jar, any higher and it would be too salty.

- Add your root vegetables (Turnip and Beet) into the jar and seal the jar (close) and let sit on the counter for 2 weeks (then transfer into the fridge) and enjoy!!

** For a twist, add garlic cloves, or even hot chili peppers in the jar.

Translated recipe by me, originally posted here

Update: I opened one of the jars to check on it because the water level was a bit high and it was like opening a bottle of pop that has been shaken, so beware, let the gasses slowly be released before opening (remember turnips are like cabbage, gassy vegetables)
The salt level was perfect but they weren't crispy yet, they did get limper and lose water so there was more room in the jar due to the shrinking of the veg.

These are not your regular pickled beets in a can or jar, they are not previously boiled so they are crisp and delicious. You may recognize the pink turnips from the last shawarma sandwich you picked up from a Middle eastern place.

Easy to make and so good, a condiment staple in every Arabic house.