Homemade Pickled Okra

Pickled okra may be a southern thing, but any pickle lover will fall in love with this alternative. You can make it spicier by adding a small chile pepper for each jar. 

Pickles aren’t just a condiment in my house. If my Princess and Middle Child had their way, it would be a main course. Leave a jar of pickles on the counter, and watch it empty out with the kids walking by, filling up bowls full of pickles each time.

Those who know Middle Child always ask him if he wants a hamburger on the side with his pickles. They even give him jars of olives and pickles for his birthday! I love pickles, too. I especially have a weakness for pickled okra.

Why this recipe is so awesome

Although okra is associated with warm weather, it is October. And here in San Diego? It’s still hot. And I can find fresh okra in my middle eastern food store. I usually like to make my Perisan Okra Stew with fresh okra.

Or perhaps you would like to try it with my Potato Gumbo? But real die hard okra fans pickle okra.

Now if you haven’t made homemade pickles, then you really are missing out on something special. Don’t be intimidated. Pickles are super easy to make. Prep and clean your vegetables, add spices and herbs, pour in hot vinegar and seal.

If I am making a small bacth, I don’t bother with hot water canning. I store my pickles in the refrigerator. I have the full directions if you are planning on hot water canning.

Pickled okra? Oh it’s really delicious. What do they taste like? Well, pickles, of course!

Ingredients you need

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• Fresh okra: Look for green okra without any blemishes or signs of mold or damage. The fresher the okra, the better!
• Cider vinegar: You can use plain white vinegar, but I chose apple cider vinegar because of its flavor. Rice vinegar also is another great choice.
• Spices: kosher salt, whole peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds. You can also use mustard seeds. For spicy pickles add chile pepper flakes or slip in a whole chile pepper in with the okra.
• Fresh flavors: garlic cloves, dill and tarragon

Step-by-step directions

1. Wash and trim stems from Okra, leaving tops intact. Pack cleaned okra tightly into 2 sanitized 1-pint jars.

2. Divide garlic cloves, peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, fresh dill and fresh tarragon equally into the 2 jars. Okra is hollow inside, with membranes filled with seeds. They float in the vinegar mixture when pickled. Because of their odd shape, it is best to alternate stuffing them in the jar stem side up then stem side down.

3. In a small pot, bring water, cider vinegar and salt to a boil. Pour hot vinegar liquid over the okra in both jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. The warm vinegar mix slightly cooks the okra without turning them into pickled mush. If you are going to store in the refrigerator, cool until room temperature first then refrigerate. Pickles will be ready in 7-10 days.

Recipe tips and FAQs

You can customize the flavor of your okra pickles by adjusting the herbs and seasonings you use. If you like things spicy, add chile pepper flakes or a small chile pepper.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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