I wanted to go into my next pickling experiment (regular cucumbers) having been able to say that I waited the full two weeks on my okra.  However, the day after I posted my last article, I opened the other jar of okra.  While savoring its goodness, I did come across some things that I think can serve as lessons learned—think of them as lessons that I learned the hard way so that you don’t have to.

1. Make sure that you have enough liquid to completely cover the items you’re pickling.  My second jar had about ¾” of okra sticking out—just enough so that it didn’t really get picked, but more of that slimy effect that okra is kind of known for (not in a good way).  Not that it prevented me from eating the okra, of course.
2. Using mason jars—make sure that you use plastic wrap between the jar & the lid.  Otherwise, the lid will oxidize and start to rust into your pickles—ugh!
3. Make sure you make enough pickles!  I made two pint-size jars of okra, which is not nearly enough for me, much less my family of five. 

Next time, I promise, I’ll give you my hard-earned insight on pickling that vegetable which everyone knows and loves—cucumbers!