Floating is usually not a safety issue. It simply means that air was still trapped in the vegetable pieces. Over time, assuming it was processed correctly, they will sink. But slimy can be a serious problem as it is often indicative of too low acid brine (too little vinegar) and the food should not be consumed. The problem okra is often slimy naturally, especially if overly mature when harvested. So there is no way to know if the slimy results was from the okra or the too-low-acidity. To be safe I would recommend tossing them. " Are these ingredients good enough to can 1 quart of okra I'm using canning salt, garlic, ( ball) kosher dill pickle mix , and some (ball) mixed pickling spice, and the okra. These are the ingredients I have as of now. I know nothing at all." There are many tested and approved recipes for making pickled okra and when one is new to canning only those tested and approved recipes should be used. In all cases the amounts that can be added are limited to the specific amounts in the recipe - no additions. In other words the Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix is safe to use IF you follow the instructions on the label. I don't have a packet of it to check butyou would use only the packet mix, and the vinegar and water it calls for and the okra. No additional pickling spices or salt can be added unless the instructions call for them. I doubt they do as the salt and all the spices should already be in the mix in the packet. As for quarts - only if the instructions call for quarts. Normally such instructions are for pints only and you can never go to a larger jar than what is in the instructions as it creates safety issues in the pH and the processing time required. If you want to use an approved recipe for Pickled Okra instead use this one. http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_dill_okra.html Dave

Mhargraves, A 50% vinegar and water ratio is far too low!! for any kid of pickle. Yes, it MUST e kep under refrigeration at all times. Very dangerous to can! I use full strength white, distilled vinegar and pickling salt in most of minr as its far safer in the long run. Jonbyler, For the final vacuum, its done with the Food Saver canning jar adapter device I linked to. This device has the vacuum hose fitting on top, a big soft rubber O ring that seals the adapter against the jars' glass bead (just below threads) on the outside of canning jars. There is an a open space inside, to accomodate the canning lid. FS makes two sizes, of these canning jar adapters, regular mouth and wide wouth. Because any air pumped out inside pushes up on the 'trapped' canning lid, it will allow any residual air to be pumped out. If I pull the vacuum hose fitting thats attached to the top of the adapter, it will suddenly pull in air. That initial 'slug' of air will immediatly push down on the lid forcing a seal. They are so tightly sealed, I have to use a blunt ended 'church key' to pop off the lid which is really stuck on the jars. ABSOLUTELY NO HEAT IS USED IN ANY PART OF MY VACUUM PROCESS. I use a dual rubber diaphram pump, and a moisture trap to prevent ny brine from getting into the pump. The FOod saver containers I prefer to use are the large round, smoked plastic containers that have a knob on shut off the vacuum. I keep my dried dill weed in a quart jar as well as sage, basil, and any other herb I want to keep longer. In the fridge, I also have grated parm cheese and its never molded yet. Here is a link that might be useful: Food Saver Jar dapter

You can also just use a standard dill pickle brine. Use garlic too, and use the pickled garlic out of the jar - it's delicious. If you get a copy of the *old* Victory Garden Cook Book by Marian Morash, she has plenty of standard formulas in there as well as featured recipes. Cheers Maryanne in WMass

If the pickled garlic was purple, it may not have been due to the ingredients but an enzymatic reaction that occurs when immature garlic is pickled. Garlic turns blue, asparagus and cauliflower turn pink. Unless the pickling solution was clearly red, I wouldn't assume it was wine or red wine vinegar. If you enter "pickled garlic" on the search at Harvest, you'll find a bunch of threads with recipes. Here's another one from Harvest with Melly's recipe. Here is a link that might be useful: Pickled Garlic