Okra, Pickles, and Cornbread

28.09.2023 - 11:33 / hgic.clemson.edu

There are many foods and ingredients that illicit strong opinions among eaters, often based on one unpleasant sensory experience due to poor preparation and not the food itself. Okra, a mucilaginous member of the Mallow family, is no stranger.

The natural sugars and soluble fiber contained in the plant, known as mucilage, are what cause okra to sometimes be gooey and slimy. This can be desirable as a thickener in soups, stews, and gumbos, but also offensive to some. However, it is possible to significantly reduce the slime factor, depending on the method of preparation and cooking. Keeping the pods whole, dicing and adding to your favorite cornmeal batter for muffins, hushpuppies, fritters, and skillet cornbread, or adding an acid, such as in pickling, can transform the once offensive, slimy okra into a unique snack or condiment palatable to even the most sensitive critics. Try the following raw pack water bath canning pickle recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia. Note: Peppers can be omitted. If pickles are not processed in a water bath or steam canner, the product may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

7 lbs small okra pods

6 small hot peppers

4 tsp dill seed

8 to 9 garlic cloves

2/3 cup canning or pickling salt

6 cups water

6 cups vinegar (5 percent)

Yield: 8 to 9 pints

Procedure: Wash and trim okra. Fill jars firmly with whole okra, leaving ½-inch headspace. Place 1 garlic clove in each jar. Combine salt, hot peppers, dill seed, water, and vinegar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour hot pickling solution over okra, leaving ½-inch headspace. Process pints in a boiling water bath canner for the following times based on altitude. (Feet above sea level)

10 minutes: