Spicy Pickled Okra

Summer is slipping away. I sure can feel it this week, but thankfully, the veggies from my father-in-law's garden still continue to roll in by the bucketful. There's no room left in the freezer because it's jam-packed with shelled peas, roasted tomatoes, and sliced okra. I'm doing all I can to preserve the season. So, I decided to pickle a mess of okra that had just arrived.


The process of pickling is simple, and even if you don't properly can it, which is a huge production, pickled vegetables will still last up to 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Use this pickling liquid and spice mixture on anything from cucumbers to green tomatoes. 
The best part of pickling okra in particular is that is reduces its inherent sliminess. I brought these little beauties to Rocco's birthday party this weekend and they were a hit...even with the okra skeptics.


(My friend Kelly stuffs pickled okra with pimento cheese, batters them, and deep fries them. I'll see if I can't talk him out of the recipe for y'all soon!)




Spicy Pickled Okra

1 quart white vinegar
6 tablespoons salt
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 tablespoons chili pepper relish (or sambal)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon sugar
3 quarts small okra (stem intact, washed and dried)


Bring the first eight ingredients to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Pour hot pickling liquid over the okra and allow everything to cool. Place picked okra in the fridge for two days to allow the flavors to meld. Use okra within 2-3 weeks. 


To serve, rinse okra in a colander. Place two pickles on a bamboo pick. Stand picks up in a wide-mouth mason jar. In my mind, it's just the thing to bring to a three-year-old's birthday party.