Enjoy a little taste of summer all year. Make your own Pickled Okra with tender young pods of okra preserved in a brine with garlic, dill, and peppercorns.
Here's another little bit of southern deliciousness for you today - Pickled Okra! You know how I enjoy canning in the summer. I almost always make some Strawberry Jam and our favorite Kosher Dills along with a good Basic Salsa recipe. We're already enjoying all of those this year.
I still need to make a few jars of my Sugar-Free Bread and Butter Pickles and might even have to make a few more jars of the kosher dills if I can get my hands on any pickling cukes this late in the season.
My Favorite Canning Recipe
But I can't let the summer end without sharing my recipe for Pickled Okra. This is my personal favorite. I'll breeze right by a dill pickle if there's pickled okra around. I love it with a sandwich or just as an accompaniment to some good, old-fashioned southern vegetables. It's also a great addition to an antipasto platter.
Select the Okra Carefully
When I get ready to make pickled okra, I hand select every pod for the recipe. Really. I literally stand there in the produce aisle or the farmer's market and choose every single pod because I want them to be young, tender, and no longer than the depth of a pint jar. It usually takes between 1 ½ to 2 pounds to make three pints.
You'll have to use your cook's judgment based on the okra that is available to you. If you have leftovers, so much the better! Slice it, dredge it in some cornmeal and fry it up!
Prepare the Equipment
Start by preparing the jars, rings, and lids according to standard canning procedure. If you haven’t canned before, or if it’s been a while since your last canning session, please review the process and get all your equipment ready before you start.
Review Procedures
One of the best resources for new and seasoned canners alike is the Ball Blue Book. It’s published by the people who make the Ball canning jars. It’s available in lots of locations and on the web at amazon.com.
Some other good online resources are:
- National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia)
- Home Food Preservation Site (Pennsylvania State University)
- “Some Canning Do’s and Don’ts” from The New York Times
- A Beginner's Guide to Canning from Serious Eats
The National Center for Home Food Preservation even offers a free online course in food preservation. It’s well worth the time for the amount of information you get!
How to Make Pickled Okra:
My recipe makes three pints. Feel free to double it if you want more!
Prepare the Okra and Spices
Wash the okra in cold water. Trim the cut ends only if necessary.
Get your spices ready. You're going to need canning salt, dill seed, whole peppercorns, and garlic cloves. Peel the garlic, but leave it whole.
Umm...can you just pretend that there is some salt in that photo? It was sitting off to the side...oops.
Fill the Jars
Into the sterile jars, pack as many pods of okra as possible with the tips pointing up.
To each jar add 1 teaspoon of canning salt, 1 whole garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of dill seed and ¼ teaspoon of whole peppercorns.
Finish packing the jars as fully as possible with additional okra, tips down, fitting the pods in tightly but taking care not to crush the okra.
Bring the vinegar and water to a boil. Fill jars with the vinegar and water mixture to within ¼ inch of the rim.
Close the Jars and Process in Water Bath
Place the lids and rings on the jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Allow Cooling Time
Remove the jars from the canner and allow them to cool completely. Notice the difference in color after they come out of the canner. The okra has taken on a beautiful olive green color.
Let the pickles sit for about a month to achieve the best flavor.
Enjoy!
Recipes for Pickled Okra from Other Bloggers:
- Alton Brown's version of Pickled Okra from the Food Network
- How to Pickle Okra from Southern Living
- Pickled Okra from Chef Rick's Southern Cooking
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Pickled Okra
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small tender okra pods (may need more or less)
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 tsp. canning salt
- 3 tsp. dill seed
- ¾ tsp. whole peppercorns
- 1 ½ cups white vinegar
- 1 ½ cups water
Instructions
- Prepare jars, rings and lids according to standard canning procedure.
- Into the sterile jars, pack as many pods of okra as possible with the tips pointing up.
- To each jar add 1 whole garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of canning salt, 1 teaspoon of dill seed and ¼ teaspoon of whole peppercorns.
- Finish packing the jars as much as possible with additional okra, tips down, fitting the pods in tightly but take care not to crush the okra.
- Bring the vinegar and water to a boil. Fill jars to within ¼ inch of the rim.
- Place lids and rings on jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Remove jars from the canner and allow them to cool completely.
- Let the pickles sit for about a month to achieve the best flavor.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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Lana Stuart is the cook and occasional traveler here at Never Enough Thyme. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
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Janette Tatem
Can you use Apple Cider Vinegar for pickle okra?
Lana Stuart
Yes, you can as long as it's 5% acidity. It will make the pickles darker, though.
Linda Lyttle
Just fixed 5 pints of your Pickled Okra going to be a long hard wait until July 1.
Lana Stuart
Ha ha! Put them somewhere out of sight so you won't think about them. But, yeah, they are so much better after they sit for a few weeks.
Capt. T
I love pickled okra, always have. Just never new how to do it. Thanks to you, I don't have to pay those high high prices in the stores any more. I can just head to the basement and pull out a jar. I'm considering making some to give away as Christmas gifts. Do you think the packaged okra that you find in the grocery stores would work well?
THANKS!
Lana Stuart
Yes, you could use fresh okra from the grocery store. Just make sure it's young and tender, not woody.
KC
My family loves pickled okra. I cannot make enough. I have pickled at least 80 pints so far. I children, 8 to 15, eat a pint jart each night and they fight over who gets the garlic clove. I really think that is why they are never sick.
Tabitha
Just made 6 pints...I cant wait!!!!
Sam Adair
I also love pickled okra but as a transplanted Southerner now living in the Canadian Rockies, this is not an item I can easily find on the grocery shelf! My father and grandfather are from Morgan County, Georgia and I remember as a child my grandmother making pickled okra. Finally saw some baby okra at my nearby Asian store while shopping for catfish today and my taste buds started thinking of the treat from my childhood. Baby okra is now chilling in my fridge awaiting transformation tomorrow morning. My catfish was grilled on the BBQ tonight, but served in true Southern fashion with cheese grits and Southern Ice Tea to a few neighbours and my family. Neighbours thought Southern cooking was quirky but they all wanted the recipes for everything! My children, though first generation Canadians, have grown up with a mixture of Southern and Canadian cooking and I am proud to say they are better Southern cooks than I am! Thank you for this easy to do recipe.
Your Georgia BLT is next on my list
Lana
You're welcome, Sam! I hope you enjoy your okra pickles and the Georgia BLT as well!
gloria g.
Yes, I love, love, love pickled okra. But then I like it raw, boiled, steamed, fried, pickled or just about any other way....... I was looking for a good old fashioned teacake like my grandmother made, and so hope I've found it. I can still smell them cooking. Just like you said, it takes you to another place. My mother and her family are from Waycross, GA so I hope the recipe will be similar......I'll let you know. Thanks for both recipes and I have book marked your blog. I'll be back as they say! Thanks for sharing.......I deal with food allergies, so always cook my own goodies!!!!
gloria g. - now in Hemingway, SC southern to the bone!
Bonnie
Just wondered if it's okay to use fresh dill instead of dill seed?
Lana
Sure! The normal substitution is three heads of fresh dill for each tablespoon of dill seed.
Jamie
I always grow okra in my garden, and I usually just fry it or cook it with tomatoes. I love pickled okra, but have never made any. This recipe is so easy and delicious! Thank you!
sensiblecooking
Oh and also Pickled okra that is new for me I gotta try it.