By Summer. Biscuit is deeply offended by the heat and makes her feelings known by lying on the bathroom floor and staring at the ceiling as if accusing it of something. I know how she feels. The daycare is running summer programming now, ten toddlers some days, more children than the fall semester because parents who work do not have school to cover the gap. I have my assistant, a young woman named Amber who just graduated with her early childhood certificate, and she is enthusiastic and somewhat unsure of herself, which I recognize. I try to give her the kind of guidance that is specific rather than general. Not just do it with patience but here is what to do when Marcus takes the truck.
On Sunday Gloria taught me to make pickled okra, which is a summer preservation thing like the peach preserves. You stuff the jars with fresh okra and garlic and pepper and pour the hot brine over them. The brine is vinegar and water and salt and sugar and pickling spice. The jars seal as they cool and you hear the pop of the lid and that sound means: preserved. Safe for later. That is what the pop means.
I have four jars of pickled okra on my kitchen windowsill now, next to Biscuit spot. They are beautiful in the afternoon light, green and perfect. Biscuit has sniffed each jar. She approves of none of them but tolerates their presence.
My blog had the most views it has ever had this week, which I only know because I checked the analytics on a whim. The post about cooking Gloria collard greens for the first time has been shared somewhere and people are finding it. I feel visible in a way that is new and slightly uncomfortable and mostly good.
Gloria’s pickled okra got me thinking about all the ways you can put summer in a jar — the brine, the heat, the satisfying pop that says you did something lasting. These pickled taco vegetables follow that same logic: you pack the jar tight, pour the brine over, and wait. It felt like the right recipe for a week when I felt, for the first time, a little preserved myself — seen by strangers on the internet, held gently in place by something I made.
Pickled Taco Vegetables
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour cooling) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion (about 1 small onion)
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes (about 6–8 radishes)
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Make the brine. Combine the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Prepare the vegetables. Slice the red onion, radishes, and jalapeño thinly and evenly. Pack them together into a clean 16-ounce jar (or two 8-ounce jars), layering with the smashed garlic, peppercorns, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Pour the brine. Carefully pour the hot brine over the packed vegetables, pressing them down gently so everything is submerged. Leave about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of the jar.
- Cool and seal. Let the jars cool uncovered at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then seal with lids and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving — overnight is even better.
- Serve. Pile onto tacos, grain bowls, eggs, or anything that wants a little brightness. The pickles keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 15 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 320mg