Pickled Okra

From the garden

• 2 lb small okra pods, stems trimmed, caps left intact
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 sprigs fresh dill heads or sprigs

From the pantry

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp mustard seed
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar (5%) — full strength — the tested ratio that makes okra safe to water-bath
• ¼ cup canning or pickling salt

1. Wash 4 pint jars and keep them hot in the water-bath canner while it heats; wash the lids and bands.
2. Rinse the okra and trim the stems, but don't cut into the caps — an uncut pod keeps its juices to itself, which is what keeps these pickles from going slimy.
3. Bring the vinegar, 2 cups water, and the canning salt to a rolling boil.
4. Into each hot jar put 1 garlic clove, a dill sprig, ½ teaspoon mustard seed, and ¼ teaspoon pepper flakes, then pack the pods in snugly, alternating tips up and down. Pour in boiling brine leaving ½ inch headspace, release air bubbles with a thin spatula, wipe the rims, and screw the bands on fingertip-tight.
5. Process in boiling water covering the jars by 1 inch for 10 minutes. Altitude adjustment: at 1,001–6,000 ft process 15 minutes; above 6,000 ft, 20 minutes.
6. Cool undisturbed on a towel 12–24 hours, check the seals, and refrigerate any jar that didn't seal. Wait 3–4 weeks before opening — the texture sets and the flavor blooms.