Pickled okra

Ingredients:

• 900 g of young okra fruits, small or medium-sized
• 4 small dried chili peppers, halved
• 2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 12 sprigs of fresh dill
• 4 whole cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup coarse salt
• 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 cups of bottled water
• Additional equipment: 4 sterilized half-liter glass jars*

Preparation:

1. Wash the okra and trim off 1 cm of the stem. Place 1 chili pepper, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 sprigs of dill, 1 clove of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns in the bottom of each of 4 sterilized jars. Divide the okra into 4 jars, arranging the fruits vertically, alternating: one with the stem facing up, the other with the stem facing down.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the salt, vinegar, and water to a boil over medium heat. When the marinade comes to a boil, pour it over the okra jars, leaving some space between the liquid and the lid. Seal the jars. Store in a cool, dry place for 2 weeks.
   
   
   Note *
   
   Canned foods stored in well-sterilized containers will last for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step in canning..

3. Sterilization Tips

   
   Jars should be glass, free of chips and cracks. Canning jars are sealed with glass, plastic, or metal lids with a rubber seal. Two-piece lids are best for canning, as they create a vacuum seal when sealed.
   
   To sterilize jars before storing jam, marinades, or pickles, wash the jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and place the jars with the lids up, without touching them, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan filled with water for 15 minutes.
   
   To remove hot, sterilized jars from boiling water, use tongs. The tongs should also be sterilized. To do this, dip the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
   
   As a rule, hot foods go into hot jars, and cold foods go into cold ones. Everything used to make jams, jellies, or preserves should be clean. This includes towels and, especially, your hands.