Pickled Okra

A good pickle is all about texture. It should have a satisfying crunch as you bite into it. It should be firm and crisp. It should make your eyes light up with delight as you eat it.

Which brings me to okra, the poster child of vegetables with texture issues. “Eww, it’s slimy!”

Yes. Yes, okra often suffers from slipperiness. But it all depends on how you prepare it.

Cooked fresh into a pickle, like this, it’s not slimy. It’s crunchy.

I am convinced that okra makes the best pickles ever. The inside of an okra pod is somewhat hollow, with tender seeds, but a lot of air.

These air pockets fill up with the pickling juice when you pickle the okra, and it’s a texture wonderland when you bite into them. That and okra just tastes good.

I planted okra in the garden for the first time this year, so I now have my own steady supply. I have not found any decent looking okra at the stores, but the farmers market this time of year has plenty of beautiful fresh okra.

Look for unblemished pods, and if you are using pint sized jars, no more than 4 inches long.

As for making the pickles, it couldn’t be easier. You actually pack the fresh okra into the jars with the pickling spices. Pour in pickling liquid, put lids on, and put the jars in a water bath for 15 minutes.

If you are canning for shelf storage you’ll want to take the extra precautions of sterilizing the jars up front, and sterilizing the lids. But you can skip that if you just want to store them in the fridge and eat them up quickly.

Pickled Okra Recipe

You can either use the pickling spice combination recommended here, your own favorite pickling spice blend, or already packaged pickling spices. You'll need 4 tablespoons for 4 pint jars of pickles.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of fresh okra (3 1/2 to 4 inches long)
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 1/4-inch thick slices of lemon
• 2 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Pickling spices:

• 2 Tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Special equipment needed:

• 4 pint canning jars, lids, and screw bands.
• A large (at least 16 qt) pot for canning

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