Pickled Okra & Pickled Green Tomatoes

Rita's recipe for Pickled Okra


Ingredients:

1 qt white vinegar
1/2 cup salt, not iodized
1 cup Water
fresh okra
dill seed
hot red peppers
hot green peppers
garlic cloves
Preparation:
Place 1/2 teaspoon dill seed in bottom of each sterilized pint jar. Pack washed fresh okra as tightly as possible in each jar being careful not to bruise the okra. Add 1/2 t dill seed, 1 hot green pepper, 1 hot red pepper and 1 clove of garlic to each jar. Bring to boil the vinegar, water, and salt. Cover okra with hot mixture. Seal jars and process in boiling water bath according to jar manufacturer's instructions. Allow to stand two weeks. Chill before serving.

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GREEN TOMATO PICKLED

1 gallon green tomatoes
6 large onions
3 cups brown sugar
1/2 lemon
1 small whole hot red pepper (for each jar - optional)
3 red bell peppers
1 pint vinegar
1 pint water
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon crushed celery seed
1 tablespoon whole mustard seed
1 tablespoon dry ground mustard
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

Wash and thinly slice the tomatoes and onions. Discard any with blemishes.
Sprinkle over the vegetables, one half cup of canning salt. Let stand overnight in a stainless steel or enamel pan or crock.

Tie the pepper, cloves, allspice and celery seed in a square of cheesecloth; fasten with cotton string. Slice the lemon and chop two peppers very finely.

Drain the tomato and onion well. Add all the seasoning except one of the pepper pods to the vinegar, then add the tomato and onion. Cook for 1/2 hour, stirring gently at intervals to prevent burning.

Remove spice bag to prevent darkening.

Pack in pint jars and garnish with slender strip of red bell pepper and 1 small hot pepper per jar (near the outer edge as decoration). Ladle hot vinegar mixture over jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Adjust lids. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.