Pickled Okra

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/17/23
Pickled Okra

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 1 pint

Pickled okra—spicy or not—is a fabulous way to keep the distinctive grassy flavor of okra around well past its summer and fall season. Luckily, it's super easy to make these delicious okra pickles. They are a crisp, flavorful element to serve alongside burgers or barbecue, and also wonderfully tasty as part of an appetizer or charcuterie platter.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound okra pods

  • 1 small clove garlic

  • 1/2 teaspoon dill seeds

  • 1 chile pepper, fresh or dried, or 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

  • 1 cup cider vinegar

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt, or 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Pickled Okra ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  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.

    clean and trim the okra

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Peel the garlic and cut it into thin slices.

    thin garlic slices in a bowl

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  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.

    Stuff the trimmed okra, sliced garlic, and dill seeds into a clean pint jar

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil.

    Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil in a pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Ladle the hot mixture over the okra in the jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace.

    okra with brine in a jar

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  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.

    Pickled Okra in a jar

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Tips

  • This recipe gives you the amount to prepare per pint jar—feel free to double, triple, or quadruple this recipe based on how much okra you have on hand and how many pints of pickled okra you think you can eat.
  • Once jars are opened, continue to store in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
9 Calories
0g Fat
1g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 9
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 160mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 9mg 46%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 48mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags: