Pickled Okra

Hello food lovers!

Leave your okraphobia behind and delve into the wonders of Pickled Okra! Great flavor, crispy texture. No 'okra slime' at all!  I've canned this recipe since mid-July because our garden is spitting out plenty of fresh tender young okra.

Many people don't know, but okra is excellent for the digestive system. Follow this link to Ravi Kochhar's "All About Okra" page  http://www.physiology.wisc.edu/ravi/okra/ where you can learn everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) about this fascinating vegetable, including many recipes. 

Okra, or "Gumbo", has its roots in Northeast Africa and it is likely that the French colonists of Louisiana introduced it to America. It is popular in the Southern United States where it is served breaded and fried, or as a component of a recipe such as soups, stews or relishes. Okra is a typical ingredient of Cajun and Creole dishes. Because it is considered too gooey, it is rarely served alone -- unless pickled!!

Okra is in the same family as cotton, hollyhocks and hibiscus. Its flowers resemble hibiscus and okra makes a nice ornamental plant in your garden as well.

Pod on right is best

While two okra plants may be enough for your family garden, we typically grow a dozen or more. Okra will grow very quickly and before you know it your plants will be over four feet tall with some varieties reaching seven or eight feet in height by the time they are fully grown.

Each plant will continue to produce numerous pods over the long growing season and by keeping the pods picked you will encourage additional production. Only 3 to 4 days are required from the time the okra flower opens until the pod reaches harvest maturity. For this reason, okra must be harvested at least every other day during the growing season. If you are not ready to eat or process them, at least cut the mature pods off the plant. Refrigerate your pods as soon as possible after harvest until you can use them!

Easier to cut than pluck!

 INGREDIENTS (for 3-5 pint jars):

3-1/2 pounds of young, tender okra pods (washed)
1 pint vinegar
1 quart water
1/3 cup of pickling salt
3-5 small hot peppers -- one per jar
3-5 cloves of garlic -- one per jar
2 teaspoons of dill seed

Pack jars tightly

THEN:
Pack okra, hot pepper and garlic into each jar - should fit snugly (otherwise they will shrink and float around).

Bring vinegar, water, salt and dill seed to a boil.  Pour boiling brine into each jar, covering all okra with 1/4" head space.  Seal and process for 10 minutes in a simmering water bath (as opposed to boiling).

Remove, cool and check seals. Store in a cool, dry place. Let ripen for about 2 weeks until the flavors develop.

The recipe is super quick and easy, even for novice canners. I have heard that some people omit the hot peppers with one garlic clove in each jar.  Interestingly, people who say they generally don't like okra, love these pickled treats.  One of our long-standing customers buys up a lot of our Pickled Okra because it is the only vegetable that her daughter will eat!

Who knew Okra could taste so good? You really should put your okraphobia aside and try it!

Wishing you good digestion!

Chef Alan

Rhubarb -- a taste of Spring!

Rhubarb poppin' through the cool earth is a harbinger of spring in Indiana gardens. Because it often sweetened and used in pies and jams, most people think of it as a fruit. It is actually a vegetable, low in calories, rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber. It has a distinctive tart flavor that can stand alone or can be combined with berries (Strawberry-Rhubarb pie is a favorite of my customers), vegetables or meat dishes.

This plant will grow to a height of several feet as the days warm through April. It is important to remember that there are 2 distinct parts to the plant -- and only one, the stem, is edible! The blade or green leaves of the plant can grow up to a foot or more in breadth and they are poisonous.

The edible stalks are up to 18 inches long with a diameter of 1 to 2 inches. The color red has nothing to do with ripeness. Long thick green rhubarb stalks are just as good as the thinner red ones. The red stalks will be much sweeter, while medium stalks are generally very tender. They all provide good eating!

Rhubarb plants are perennial and they persist for many years -- we have a patch at the Garden House that has been around since the late 60's when Betsy's Grandmother made Stewed Rhubarb from Spring into early Summer.

An excellent reference site for all things rhubarb is rhubarbinfo.com

Here are some quick tips for handling rhubarb:

1. For the most intense flavor, buy your rhubarb from a local farmer's market or better yet, grow your own! It takes 1 full year to establish a plant -- you can begin harvesting late in the 2nd season. It is really hard to hold yourself back, but well worth the wait!

2. When harvesting rhubarb stalks, do not pick too much from any one plant at a time. The longer each clump can hold on to the foliage, the better chance it has to keep producing. Reach down low on the stalk and pull the whole stalk off of the crown. Bring a knife and cut off the poisonous leaves before bringing them into the house.

3. The greener the stalks, the more sugar you may need to add to your recipe.
4. Adding a splash of fresh or bottled lemon juice keeps rhubarb from turning brown as you cook with it.

Here's how I make Fresh Rhubarb Pie.

• 4 cups of Rhubarb (uncooked) -- cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 & 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• milk

Mix first 4 ingredients & let sit for 15 minutes. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Drop 1 tablespoon of butter into the middle of the pie -- this enriches the flavor. Brush edge of pie with milk, attach top crust & pinch edges as desired. Brush top crust with milk & sprinkle with additional sugar -- this glazes & sweetens the crust. With a knife, cut 4 one inch vents in the top crust.

Place pie on lined cookie sheet -- filling will create sticky mess beneath pie pan.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 - 70 minutes -- look for the filling to bubble up through the vents!
Remove from oven and let cool for 2 hours.


Wishing you good digestion!

Chef Alan