The one thing that stands the Texas heat and laughs is the Okra, when all else has shriveled and wilted the okra keeps on chugging. It has been way hot this last week and no real rain for about three weeks so everything is mighty dry, all except for the you know what…that’s right, the okra. it is just starting to really churn out the pods like mad, we are getting about 2 five gallon buckets a day now!  OK, OK I might have over done it this year on the okra, with three rows of about 50 feet each, but we all like it around here, fried, in gumbo, pickled, heck you name it we like it,  and our friends like it to, so it doesn’t go to waste!  And if we don’t eat it all the pigs and goats like it too, they get it raw though!  hehehe …

Yea so I over did it but using the Earthway Garden Seeder, over seeding is a breeze lol! So next year maybe i’ll cut it down to two rows, or maybe not!

Okra Rows

In this picture you can see down the length of the rows, I’m about to the end of the rows, for some reason the three plants on each row are a little shorter, must have gotten a slow start.

The okra plant is in the hibiscus family and they have a stunning pale yellow flower with a dark purple ring at the base of the petal, they bloom mostly in the morning.

After a day the blossom shrivels and falls off leaving a small green nub, This is the beginning of the seed pod, the edible part!

Okra Pods

In this photo you can see the maturing pods as well as the flower that has closed up and will fall off soon.  The pods will keep forming until the frost gets the plant, or you let them just go to seed, more for next year!!

Watermelon, another heat lover!

Just a quick note on the watermelon, it digs the heat too, I you can keep the chickens off of them!

Watermelon with chicken scratches!

Well that’s it for now, we’ve been busy with the garden and the canning lately, and the fall garden starts soon, I’ll keep you posted.

see ya soon

With the great Okra harvest we’ve been pulling in it’s time to put some up for a rainy, cold day …since the frost will kill it dead, so we pickled a whole mess of it.

I used one of the many recipes you can find on the web, the brine is pretty standard across the board, its the spices and other flavors that make each batch your own. So here is what we did!

First thing, sterilize the jars and lids, I have a large stock pot full of water, I put the jars and lids in the water and bring to a boil, leave em for 10 minutes and pull em out with the jar lifter, set them aside to cool.

Next gather brine supplies, recipe follows!

Pickled Okra

1 quart vinegar – white,cider,rice  your choice

1 cup water

1/2 cup pickling salt

I also add about 3 tablespoons of sugar, to balance the salt.

That’s the basic brine, the you can add Garlic cloves, red peppers , black peppercorns, mustard seeds or what ever you like!

Vinegar and Spices

Put that in a non reactive pan on the stove and bring to and bring to a boil.

In the mean time, clean and trim your okra, I make a slit in the side of each pod so the brine gets in and you get a better idea of the brine level in the jars.

Cleaned Okra

After cleaning, pack your sterilized jars with the cleaned and trimmed okra, we also put and extra clove of garlic, a medium jalapeno pepper, and a 1/4 teaspoon of mustard seed in each jar.  You have to pack the okra in there real tight or they will float around after they are sealed, that way the stay submerged in the brine.

Garlic And Peppers

About to Pack The Jars.

Packed Jars

Once the jars are packed , and the brine has reached a boil, carefully ladle the brine into the jars of packed okra , use the canning funnel its so easy!  Let the brine settle and the top off your jars with the proper headspace, about 1/2 inch, clean the top of the jar off with a damp cloth and put the lid and ring on the jar.

Brined With Lids, Ready For The Hot Water Bath

Now for the hot water bath, using the jar lifter, carefully set the okra filled jars into the boiling water and make sure there is at least 2 inches of water over the top of the lids. keep in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Hot Water Bath

I topped off the water after the jars went in to bring the water level up, it doesn’t show in the picture.

After the ten minutes remove the jars carefully, don’t forget it is boiling water lol!, and set them on a dishrag to cool, if they sealed right you will hear a pop as the jars cool and the lids seal.

Jars Of Pickled Okra Cooling.

Now you could eat these after a day or so, but it’s better to let them sit for at least a week, two is better. that way all the flavors get a chance to mix it up!