Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra

Alright, buddies. Today we're talking Pickled Okra. Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra to be exact. 

Oh okra, you're so misunderstood! People just don't seem to give you much of a chance. But why? You have so much to offer! Sure you're a touch slimy, but you taste SO good and pickle SO well. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra is my favorite kind of pickle. It beats out Bread and Butter Pickles, Pickled Green Beans, and even Pickled Asparagus. 

Yep. This is one of those pickles you eat a whole jar of in one sitting. Crunchy, spicy, and incredibly satisfying.

This is another recipe from my favorite canning book, Canning for a New Generation, by Liana Krissoff. Liana has been sweet enough to allow me to share a few recipes from her amazing book on my blog, so check it out! Ya know, and then go buy her awesome book!
Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra- Makes about 5 pint jars
Recipe from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff

Ingredients:
- 4 cups apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
- 2 tablespoons pure kosher salt
- 2 pounds okra, stems trimmed
- 5 teaspoons Creole Spice Blend (1/4 cup ground cayenne, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes

Prepare for water-bath canning: Wash the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, and put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl.

In a non-reactive pot, combine the vinegar, 4 cups water, and the salt. Bring to just a boil.

Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the hot jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water off the jar lids.
Working quickly, pack the okra into the jars, and put 1 teaspoon spice blend and 1/2 teaspoon onion flakes in each jar. Ladle the hot vinegar mixture into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Use a chopstick to remove air bubbles around the inside of each jar. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and a ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so it's just finger-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes to process. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn't sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.
So, guys, if you can get your hands on some okra, you gotta try this out! Not only is this a great pickle to eat straight out of a jar, but you can use Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra in gumbo, or you could add it to a Bloody Mary as a garnish along with all of your other favorite pickles (uh, Pickled Asparagus, anyone?).

I hope you enjoyed checking out this recipe!

Til next time!

-Becca
Follow me on:

30 comments:

  1. I LOVE Liana's book! And your food photography is always mouth watering...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Her book is so great! Thank you so much, Joy!

      Delete
  2. I love okra! where I grew up, they're often called lady's fingers (I know, creepy name). Also, becca you're a total kitchen goddess.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! I love having fellow okra fans! That's totally creepy and totally awesome! Also, you are too sweet, Juni!

      Delete
  3. Yum! I love okra AND pickling... have to give this a try!!

    <3 dani
    www.shopdisowned.com
    http://blog.shopdisowned.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, if you love okra and pickling you definitely should! I'm so glad I'm not alone in my love of okra!

      Delete
  4. I've never heard of pickled okra but I LOVE pickles so this is making my mouth water!
    Jessi
    http://haircutandgeneralattitude.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pickles are the best! I hope you get a chance to try pickled okra sometime!

      Delete
  5. Yum! Love, love pickled okra...will try this recipe as soon as I get my hands on some:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh man, I saw this recipe in Canning For a New Generation and immediately wanted to try it! I can't wait to get started canning because now I have plums, raspberries, blueberries, AND blackberries for jams, and I HAVE to make some pickles (and dilly beans!). I might even try to photograph the process, being a new canner and all.
    xo
    Kristina
    www.eccentricowl.com
    P.S. I sent the lemon-blackberry cupcake recipe to my mom, who is gluten intolerant, and now she's making my dad pick blackberries so they can make some. Ha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lady, it sounds like you're going to be canning up a storm! I would say you'd be wise to leave the camera out of it your first couple of times through. There's a lot to figure out the first couple times, but once you get going, you'll have a blast and should be able to photograph away!

      I'm so glad your mom is going to try out my cupcake recipe! I hope she loves it.

      Delete
  7. This looks soooo incredible. You have the best recipes!

    Xo, Hannah

    sweetsweetnoir.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Hannah! I wish I could take credit for this one. It's so good!

      Delete
  8. um, yum! this sounds amazing, i must pickle okra now!

    lindsey louise

    hellomrrabbitblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Those look amazing! I've been really into pickling lately but so far I've only experimented with cold picking. The Creole spice sounds delicious. I think I"m going to have to try this recipe out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Super cool! Yea, my first foray into pickling was refrigerator pickles, too!

      Delete
  10. I'm not sure I've ever eaten okra, but I'm so intrigued! What's it like? The idea of picking things sounds so much fun xx

    www.jesssthetics.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pickling things IS fun! Okra is really tasty! It's a pretty mild flavored vegetable, but has a touch of a slimy texture to it. It can be done really horribly, but when it's done well, or pickled, it's really great! It can actually be used to thicken up soups and things like that!

      Delete
  11. I've never had pickled okra, but I've had it other ways. And by other ways, I've had the Indian dish bhindi masala a million times!

    Mabel
    Life of Mabel

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh man, that stuff is so good. Okra in Indian food is one of my favorite things!

      Delete
  12. making them literally right now as we speak!! waiting on the water to boil so i can pull these babies out. i have the lady at work with the free homepicked okra to blame for this endeavor....thanks for the easy to read and understand recipe! (i might have also watch canning for dummies on youtube!!) i can't wait to put them in my bloody mary's!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So exciting! If one of my coworkers came in with free okra, I would just about die. I hope you love these pickles!

      Delete
  13. I couldn't find my recipe and came across your site, think I might try it, although I usually always add a clove of garlic to each jar, maybe I will do that anyway! Coming from the deep south, okra is a gooood thing, okra gumbo, okra and tomatoes cooked down with lots of seasonings, Yum. Have a great day y'all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I'm glad you found this recipe! I bet a clove of garlic would be a delicious addition! I love okra so much. Maybe I should visit the south and eat a bunch of it!

      Delete
  14. Pickling things IS fun! Okra is really tasty.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.