Pickling Is The Easiest Way To Enjoy Okra

If you're a fan of Southern cooking, chances are, you've tangoed with okra before. Okra's deeply rooted history in Southern cuisine makes it a go-to for many classic dishes, including gumbo and more. Its reputation as a "slimy" vegetable, however, leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouths of many who are repulsed by the texture. That said, they are absolutely missing out on a delicious snack that is brimming with flavor and fun as well as nutritional value.

How do you solve a problem like mucilage? Simply put, you get to pickling. If you're among those who shy away from okra for texture-related discomfort, you'll find that pickled okra is an ideal way to enjoy this polarizing vegetable and give it a new life on your kitchen table.

Pickling okra is an excellent method to skip over the stubborn sliminess and create a more palatable crunchy texture and tangy taste. It's simple to make a basic brine, seal everything in a jar, and let nature run its course. You can even choose fun options to enhance the flavors of your pickling brine with spices and heat if you want a little kick with your crunch. It's as simple as can be and will yield a result that will turn even the biggest okra skeptics into true believers.

It's even easier than you think to pickle okra to the right taste and texture to satisfy your tastebuds. With so many surprising foods you can pickle, it's no wonder that okra would make a perfect candidate for briny goodness. Just as diverse as the types of foods that you can pickle are the different styles of pickles, many of which can be applied to the context of pickling okra.

A basic pickle brine typically includes water, salt, sugar, and vinegar. With those ingredients, a sealable jar, and your okra on hand, all that's left is giving everything time — between a week and month is recommended to get the best taste. From there, it's up to you what herbs, spices, and other additions you wish to include to boost the flavor of your pickled vegetables.

Okra goes well with spicy flavors, so adding hot chilis is definitely an option. Traditional pickling spices like whole peppercorns, coriander, and bay leaves will also do well, as will sprigs of fresh dill or cloves of fresh garlic. However you decide to pickle your okra, remember that the process takes patience, but the payoff will be well worth it!