There’s nothing—ahem!—mediokra about these puckery snacks. Laraina James, the fourth-generation canner behind Mountain Girl Pickles, delivers a tart, spicy preparation that lets the fruit (fact; it just plays like a vegetable) shine, minus the slime. Indeed, she’s declared this crunchy, clean take—a Good Food Award Winner no less!— the favorite of all her brinings. (Don’t tell her asparagus or Brussels sprouts; they might get a complex.)

Tip of the Tongue: 

Once the pickled okra is finished, you can use the juice in many ways: add a new batch of chopped veggies, pour it into your bloody mary or drink it straight from the jar.