Thursday, February 10, 2011

Okra Canning Day




 It's snowing. I've been canning okra. Somehow these things go together to me.

Is okra primarily a southern food? I can't imagine not having okra around. When I was young, my Dad would buy gallon jars of pickled okra when he went to the "city". My siblings and I would nearly hyperventilate when we saw the jars lined up in the back of the car. Nothing said "treat" like pickled okra.

Now I'm buying Star of David okra seed and canning farmer's market bounty in the meantime. It's still a treat: the growing, the canning, and the eating.

Somehow life's come full okra circle...

9 comments:

Mindy said...

Brin, you making even canning look thrilling. :) Loved the little visual of your childhood okra memories. I'm happily wondering what things I'm doing for my kids now that will bless them later in life with precious memories.

Old Centennial Farmhouse said...

It's not a northern thing at all, but I have many friends with southern roots here is MI who love it and love to grow it, and although we've never had luck in our garden with it, I do like it very much.

Yours looks beautiful!
XOXO
Joni

Vee said...

Okra is not my thing and I'm sitting here quite amazed thinking that it could've been a child's thing. Enjoy it! (I saw that nasty old storm barreling down on you yesterday. Do you enjoy fierce winter weather?)

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

Oh, I do love my okra! YES, it is southern if all my Yankee friends are being honest that they never heard of it and think it sounds weird!
I like it all kinds of ways- in gumbo, boiled by itself or with tomatoes, dehydrated (yes, I sampled crisp dried okra chips at Fresh Market--delicious!!), pickled and my all-time favorite of course FRIED with cornmeal, salt & pepper!

Christine said...

I love okra in gumbo. I haven't had it in ages. Will have to change that and pull out my gumbo recipe! Never had pickled okra though, does it taste like pickles? Sweeter, less sweet? Just curious. Have fun!!

Shelley in SC said...

I've never been a fan of okra, but then I've never had it pickled. And since I haven't met a pickle I didn't like, I'm trusting you on this one : )!

Jeni said...

WE love Okra...I want to marry Okra!! we love it especially in Veg. Beef soup, and fried! oh honey! mmmm mmm good and this is from a Michigan gal!! hee

Joy said...

I love Okra... being from Missouri. Where I live now, it is somewhat alien. We've grown it, but it sure takes a long growing season. You have weather suitable down there in TX right now for growing okra? I thought it had been 'cold' in TX this winter. I like it best fried with onions and throw a few tomatoes in at the last minute. Yummmmm yum.

RoseMary said...

The one thing I find funny is alot of things that seem to be southern, I grew up with. The main one is food, Okra and oxtails, collard greens only to name three. I was born and raised in the central valley of California, and not a Yankee. And having lived in NC, all the food there we had in California. I have family in MI who know what Okra is, and they love it.