Easy Crisp Pickled Okra
Learn how to make pickled okra with one ingredient that makes them extra crisp! This small batch of okra pickles is made using a water bath to process them without pressure canning!
Servings: 5 to 6 half pints or about 3 pints
Calories: 1pickle
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh okra (2 ½ to 4 inches long)
- 2 cups 5% acidity vinegar Apple cider or Distilled white
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt
- 6 large cloves garlic, halved OR 6 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 6 small dried red chile peppers (Arbol or Thai) or 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes(optional)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp (Calcium Chloride granules) (Optional
- 6 half pint or 3 pint jars, washed and sterilized
Instructions
- Put on a large pot of water to boil. Be sure the depth of water will cover the size jars you choose by one inch when all jars are added. (Don’t forget to place the canning rack in the bottom so the jars are not directly touching the bottom of the pot.)
- Wash okra and let dry on kitchen towels on the counter. It’s ok if they aren’t completely dry, just not dripping wet.
- In a medium size saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, and pickling salt to a boil over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, add two garlic halves and 1 dried pepper, if using (or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and ½ teaspoon pepper flakes)in each of the jars. For half pint jars, add slightly less than ⅛teaspoon of the Pickle Crisp. For pint jars, add slightly less than ¼teaspoon of the Pickle Crisp.
- Arrange as many of the okra pods in each jar. Tip: They will fit better if you alternate tips down and tips up and the smaller ones at the top of the jar.
- Place the jars on a kitchen towel or cutting board to insulate your countertops from the boiling brine about to be poured in the jars.
- Carefully, pour the boiling brine into the jars over the okra to within ¼ inch of the tops of the jars. The dried pepper and okra will absorb some of the liquid during the water bath processing.
- Using a table knife, remove any air bubbles by inserting it along the side and in the middle of the jar. Be careful not to bruise the okra.
- Place the lids and rings on the jars. Do not tighten the rings too much. They should be easy to twist off at this point without being too loose.
- Carefully lower the jars onto the wire canningrack with canning tongs called jar lifters. Warning: Do not try this with regular kitchen tongs. The jars will slip away from you.
- The water should cover the jars by 1 inch. Bring the water back up to a boil, covered. Boil 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the hot jars with the jar lifter and place on a kitchen towel to cool. You may hear a ping or a pop and that is the jars sealing.
- Store the pickles in a cool place for about a week (if you can wait that long) for best flavor blending. I typically dive right in after 24 hours!
Notes
There are water bath canning sets you can purchase that have jar lifters and funnels and more if you are a beginner and do not have any of the tools. If you do not have jar lifter tongs, a canning rack with handles that lift all the jars out of the water is useful.
Pro Tip: The okra will fit better if you alternate tips down and tips up and the smaller ones at the top of the jar.
Note: Double or triple the ingredients for large batches or quart jars. Quart jars will need to process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
See my long list of flavor substitutions and variations in the post like dill and peppercorns to change up the taste of your okra pickles.
