Pickled Okra
This simple okra recipe gives an option for spicy pickles and lets you keep the grassy taste of okra in the house well past its natural season.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 16 persons
Ingredients
- ½pound okra pods
- 1small clove garlic
- ½teaspoon dill seeds
- Optional: 1 chile pepper (fresh or dried or 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes)
- 1cup cider vinegar
- 1cup water
- 1 ½teaspoon pickling salt (or 2 teaspoons kosher salt)
Instructions
Step 1
Gather the ingredients.Step 2
Trim off and discard any brown bits from the stem ends of the okra pods, rinse the pods clean, and dry them thoroughly with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.Step 3
Peel the garlic and cut it into thin slices.Step 4
Stuff the trimmed okra, sliced garlic, and dill seeds into a clean pint jar. To make spicy pickles, be sure to stuff in the chile option. Be a bit aggressive, since the okra will shrink a bit as it pickles and you want to take advantage of the space in there.Step 5
Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil.Step 6
Ladle the hot mixture over the okra in the jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace.Step 7
Close the jars. Let the jar(s) sit until they've cooled to room temperature. As they cool they may "pop"—all this means is the seal on the jar sealed itself. While a "popped" jar still cannot be stored in the cupboard (it wasn't hot-water processed), there is nothing wrong with that jar and it will keep in the fridge. Put the jar(s) in the fridge and let them sit for at least 1 week but ideally four weeks before opening to eat.