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Look at the amazing colour of these pickles and imagine the fine fiery taste from the kitchens of  chrismukkah

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Since I did get a request to do a pickled okra recipe, I used the okra I got from the farmer's market that I went to, here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11576314/

SO - since I also had some beets (the fancy pre-packaged kind, that already come peeled and bagged - all you have to do is boil them right in the bag)...here we go, my first try at pickling :B

Funky Beet Pickles (I saw a jar of these in a Whole Foods Market, and figured I would try to copy):

2 - 3 cups cider vinegar
1 cup white vinegar
2 sticks cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons Kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons sugar
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger (the dried works fine as well, and can go in the sachet instead)
small onion, chopped finely (skipped, but I did have some dried onion - put in about a teaspoon of that)

And then you need to make a 'sachet' of sorts, preferably with cheesecloth, and in that little baggie you need a teaspoon of mustard seed; a good teaspoon of whole cloves; teaspoon of allspice (I sure wish I could have found the whole seed, all I had was the ground); the dried onion; and maybe a half a teaspoon of whole mixed peppercorns. Tie this up with a bit of butchers twine, and just stir around to 'steep' in the pickling mix.

NOW: Please note: It is important that you sanitize the jars and lids when you pickle and/or jelly ! So you can get a big pot of boiling water going, and put in the jars, lids and all - me, I used the dishwasher, with the 'sanitize' button on :B (Which is where those jar tongs come in handy, but I digress :3)

Then you just put in those cooked beets right in (preferably sliced up already) the jar - boil the vinegar with all that pickling goodness right in there and stir well - then just fill up the jars, and seal them up as quickly as you can! (Oven gloves or a good layer of paper towels will sure help here)

And as for the okra: Similar recipe, but different :B

2 - 3 cups cider vinegar
1 cup white vinegar
3-4 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon agave nectar (its more than enough, and a little goes a LONG way, trust me!)
1 heaping tablespoon pickling spice (Which has a lot of the same ingredients that you see above, plus the addition of chili flakes and bay leaves)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 Thai bird chilies, plus seeds (If you like it milder, use jalapenos, or just skip this step entirely)
1 pound okra (any kind you like)

Of course, make sure you wash that okra first, duh...then....

Stuff the okra in those jars as is - (I had a bit of leftover beet as well and threw those in there) - and then mix and boil that pickling goodness but WITHOUT the spice bag (you might see a bit of spice right at the bottom of those jars there)...and then seal it up!

Make sure that when they are all sealed and ready to go, you put them in a cool dark place so that way they get a chance to 'rest' and pickle up!

Enjoy *breathes fire from spicy okra pickles*

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So Fiery you can make toast on your breath the next morning...