Pickled Okra
My Granny Spradley once said that "Okra is an acquired taste". And although I do believe she was right, we absolutely LOVE okra in South Carolina. The town of Irmo, South Carolina, located just 30 minutes north of my hometown near the shores of beautiful Lake Murray, holds the annual Irmo Okra Strut.
It is a small town festival and provides the community with a time and place to come together each year to enjoy local vendors, music, reunite with friends and family of years gone by and also, most importantly, eat all of the okra they can get their hands on!
Pickled okra is my favorite snack and if you think you don't like okra, I would encourage you to try this recipe! Your family will be requesting this delicious snack again and again.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh okra (small 2-4 inch okra is best)
½ cup kosher salt
1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups water
¾ cups brown sugar
1 tbsp pickling spice
You will also need:
Small sauce pan
Canning jars
Instructions:
Place the okra in a strainer over a bowl and pour the kosher salt over it.
Toss the okra to coat in the salt and allow to stand for 30 minutes, tossing every 5-10 minutes.
Rinse the okra and drain.
Place the okra in canning jars vertically and set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the vinegar, water, brown sugar and pickling spice.
Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the liquid into the jars filling approximately 3/4 full.
Place the lid on the jars and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Serve as an appetizer, on a charcuterie board or even as a garnish to a Bloody Mary at brunch! The options are limitless!
