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    Home > Recipes > Sides

    Spicy Refrigerator Pickled Okra

    Published: Aug 20, 2019 · Modified: Nov 3, 2021 by Whitney Reist · This post may contain affiliate links |

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Pickled okra is one of my favorite treats to serve on a cheese board, and this easy recipe for spicy refrigerator pickled okra is a great way to preserve fresh okra in the summertime!

    An overhead shot of a white dish with pickled okra and a jar of pickled okra on the side.

    Welcome to week 3 of the Sweet Cayenne Veg Fest! I hope you are enjoying the series. So far, we've celebrated fresh summer produce by making Easy Pickled Cherry Tomatoes, BLT Panzanella Salad, Simple Roasted Okra, and Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes with Hot Sauce Aioli. Have you gotten a chance to try any of the recipes??? If you do, please share a picture with the tag #sweetcayennevegfest so I can see it!

    Pickled okra is one of my favorite things to put on a snack board - be it cheese board, antipasti board, or just a smorgasbord of things I've scrounged around in the pantry or fridge for. The tangy, briny, crunchy-ness of pickled okra is just so satisfying and tastes good paired with so many things! Sometimes when Ryan and I are having burgers or BLT's, I'll just serve up a plate of pickled foods like okra, cucumbers, tomatoes, or giardiniera veggies as the side dish. The zesty acidic flavor is the just the thing to cleanse the palate between bites of a meaty sandwich. YUM!

    An overhead shot of prep bowls filled with ingredients for refrigerator spicy pickled okra.

    A week after I purchased some okra from the farmer's market for roasting in my Simple Roasted Okra, I went back and purchased more to try my hand at quick-pickling the veggie. I chose not to can it for dry storage, simply because I knew Ryan and I would want to enjoy it during the last few weeks of summer. And pickled okra is just so good, it doesn't seem to last long in our house! This recipe for Spicy Refrigerator Pickled Okra is so simple and easy to make - it's a great place for a beginner pickler to start. Let's make some!

    Ingredients for Spicy Refrigerator Pickled Okra

    • Fresh okra pods - fresh okra is in season from July-September and can be readily found at many local farmer's markets. Choose pods that are firm and 2-4'' in length for pickling.
    • Fresh dill - Ryan and I spent so much money last year buying fresh dill for pickling project that this year, we wised up and planted some of our own. And I'm SO glad we did because fresh dill is an essential ingredient in so many pickling recipes. Your pickling brine really won't taste the same (or have a nice clear color) if you substitute with dried dill, so try your best to only use fresh!
    • Garlic - whole garlic cloves are a common ingredient in many pickling recipes, and you can add more or less to a recipe depending on how much you like the flavor of garlic. I have more of a preference for a mild garlic flavor, so I typically just add 1-2 small cloves per pint-sized jar in my recipes.
    • Dried or fresh peppers - I used dried whole red peppers in this recipe (what red pepper flakes are made from), but if you've got some fresh jalapeno or serrano peppers lying around, use them! Plan to use 1-2 peppers per pint-sized jar, and slice the pepper into rounds or just in half, depending on how much heat you want to infuse into the pickling liquid. My recipe is written for a mild-moderate amount of heat.
    • Whole mustard seeds - another essential ingredient for many standard pickling recipes! I like to buy whole yellow mustard seeds in the bulk section of stores that sell whole spices. You will save a lot of money this way, and whole spices will keep for 2-3 years.
    • Whole peppercorns - again, another essential pickling ingredient! I always have these on hand to refill my pepper grinder, because the flavor of freshly-cracked pepper is so much more vibrant in recipes than ground pepper.
    • Apple cider vinegar - the vinegar is what "pickles" the vegetable, and apple cider or white vinegar are the most common pickling vinegar. I love the golden color that it lends to the pickling brine!
    • Sugar - just a hint of sugar will balance out the acidity of the vinegar in the pickling brine. Not enough to make the pickles taste sweet by any means - just a hint for flavor balance. You likely won't recognize that it's there when you taste the pickles.
    • Salt - you can use pickling/canning salt or Kosher salt for most pickling recipes. Pickling salt is much finer than iodized table salt and dissolves quickly into brines, making it ideal for canning. Pickling salt is free of iodine, which can make pickles really dark. It's also free of anti-caking agents, which can make your pickle brine cloudy. If you use kosher salt, just check the ingredients label to make sure it is free of anti-caking agents.

    A canning jar with fresh okra with apple cider vinegar, garlic, and dill on the side.

    How to Make Spicy Refrigerator Pickled Okra

    • Place fresh ingredients in a clean canning jar - this would include the okra, dill, and garlic. Since you won't be boiling the jars in a water bath and therefore don't need lids that seal, you can reuse old lids and canning rings. Just be sure they are clean!
    • Bring vinegar, salt, sugar, whole spices, and peppers to a boil - once it starts to boil, remove from heat and pour evenly over the fresh items in your jars.
    • Fill the remainder of the jars up with water. Then let your jars cool for about 30 minutes before putting the lids on.
    • Label and date your lids, then refrigerate. Your refrigerator pickles will keep for 2 months, so be sure to label them with the date you made them and what the item is.
    • Let okra pickle for 3-5 days before eating them. I tried mine at 2 days and the okra had somewhat of a slimy texture. I kept pickling them and tried them on day 5, and they were perfect! The okra needs a while in the vinegar to get rid of the slimy texture. After day 5, the okra was perfectly crisp with NO sliminess!

    A hand pouring pickling liquid into a jar of pickled okra.

    Ways to Use Spicy Refrigerator Pickled Okra

    • On a cheeseboard - pickled okra is perfect on any type of cheese or antipasti board because you need a tangy element to pair with salty meats and cheeses. I particularly enjoy pickled okra paired with Havarti cheese, pimento cheese, pickled peaches, and oven-baked green tomatoes for a summery, Southern-themed board.
    • As a side dish - as I mentioned earlier in the post, I love to serve pickled veggies as a simple side dish with burgers or BLT' sandwiches. Since these tend to be heavier, hearty sandwiches, I like to keep things balanced by serving a simple but really delish veggie side dish. We are always excited about pickled veggies at my house!
    • In a salad - when chopped up into little coins, pickled okra is delicious as a salad topping! Use it in place of other briny ingredients like olives, pepperoncini, or capers. I'll be posting a pea salad with pickled okra later this week, so be sure to check back for that.
    • As a snack - serve pickled okra as a snack with hummus or cheese and crackers!
    • In gumbo - the briny acidity of pickled okra is the perfect hint of un

    A hand placing the ring on a canning jar of pickled okra.

    Similar and Complementary Recipes

    • Purple Hull Pea and Okra Salad
    • Simple Roasted Okra
    • Grilled Shrimp Boil Packets 
    • Red Beans and Rice
    • Easy Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

    Are you ready to make these Spicy Refrigerator Pickled Okra? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes! I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!

    Recipe

    An overhead shot of a white dish with pickled okra and a jar of pickled okra on the side.

    Spicy Refrigerator Pickled Okra

    This easy recipe for spicy refrigerator pickled okra is one of the BEST ways to preserve fresh summer okra. The pickling process with vinegar makes the okra crunchy, not slimy!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetcayenne5 or tag #sweetcayenne!
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Pickling time:: 36 days days
    Total Time: 36 days days 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 pints

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound (2-3 inch fresh okra, stems trimmed to ½’’, washed and dried thoroughly
    • 4 small garlic cloves, peeled
    • 8 small sprigs of dill (about ½ cup)
    • 1 ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seed
    • 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
    • 3 whole dried red chile peppers, cut in half lengthwise
    • Water

    Instructions

    • Divide the okra, garlic cloves, and dill amongst two sterilized pint-sized canning jars.
    • In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, peppercorns, and chili peppers halves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour the hot liquid and spices over the contents of the jars. Fill the rest of the jars up with water to ½’’ of the jar rim. Let the jars cool for about 30 minutes before closing jars with lids and rings.
    • Lable and date the jars before refrigerating the jars for 3 days before eating the pickles. If they are slightly slimy, let them pickle a few days more before consuming. Store for up to 2 months.
    Serving: 1oz | Calories: 15kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 250mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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    An overhead shot of a white dish with pickled okra and a jar of pickled okra on the side.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. SC Shopper says

      September 03, 2022 at 11:27 am

      Can you use pickle crisp to make them crispier and fight the slime?

      • Whitney Reist says

        September 07, 2022 at 11:32 am

        Hi! I'm not sure as I haven't tested with pickle crisp. The longer the jar sits in the fridge though the less slime you should have. I do not have a slime issue with this recipe!

    2. claire says

      July 31, 2022 at 11:00 pm

      Fantastic recipe. You can play around with it a little. I used a quart jar and a little more sugar and vinegar. I forgot to put the fresh dill in and just stuffed it down with a chopstick afterwards. The okra I got wasn’t ultimate farm fresh but nevertheless I’m eating delicious okra pickles three days from easy, pour over, no canning equipment needed pickles! Definitely doing this one again before okra is gone from season.5 stars

      • Whitney Reist says

        September 01, 2022 at 1:37 pm

        Thanks for trying the recipe, Claire!

    3. Tammy Sheldon says

      August 07, 2021 at 3:30 pm

      I have fresh rose Mary, thyme, sweet basil but not dill. Suggestions? Probably some mustard seeds, corriander, or something in the cabinet.

      • Whitney Reist says

        August 09, 2021 at 9:50 am

        Hi Tammy, personally, I'd prefer the basil in a pickled okra recipe over the rosemary or thyme. But you could do either depending on your flavor preferences!

    4. Deborah L Joubert says

      May 18, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      My grandsons, ages 7 and 9, are CRAZY about your pickles okra. They even are growing some in their veggy patch this summer. The youngest asked for two jars for his birthday! Thanks for sharing!5 stars

      • Whitney Reist says

        May 19, 2021 at 1:22 pm

        That is so fun to hear, Deborah! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and sharing it with your grandsons 🙂

    5. shawn says

      November 06, 2020 at 12:12 am

      Also, I didn't have any whole dried peppers so I used dried red pepper flakes. Hopefully this works.5 stars

      • Whitney Reist says

        November 06, 2020 at 9:25 am

        I think the red pepper flakes should work just fine!

    6. Shawn says

      November 06, 2020 at 12:10 am

      I am admittedly a rookie at pickling but have been working with cucumbers and beets this year--first time we have had a garden. Although I love making okra stew I thought I might want to try pickling them for a change. They are in the jar cooling down as I type this. Am very excited to see how these things turn out. I am going to wait at least five days before checking although I have to admit the sliminess would not deter me--that is one of the fun attributes regarding okra!!!5 stars

      • Whitney Reist says

        November 06, 2020 at 9:25 am

        Hi Shawn - that is so awesome to hear about your garden! I think a lot of folks have had fun experimenting with gardening this year. Myself included! I hope you enjoy the okra and thank you so much for trying this recipe!

    7. DeeDee says

      September 28, 2020 at 7:47 pm

      Can you add fresh picked okra to the jar on a regular basis !?????

      • Whitney Reist says

        September 29, 2020 at 10:23 am

        You probably could for a few months - I have done that with cucumbers to pickle brine before and it worked!

    8. Greg says

      July 23, 2020 at 2:57 pm

      This is by far one of the most delicious things that I have put in my mouth. Salty, cold, fresh, acidic, crunchy - oh so crunchy. I made a double batch the weekend before the 4th of July and ate all 6 jars in a week and a half. Just made another 12. Someone send help.

      I played around with it and have tried adding coriander seed and celery seed, and also do some mixing of apple cider and white vinegar for variations on flavor.

      • Whitney Reist says

        July 23, 2020 at 4:16 pm

        Hi Greg! Wow - thank you so much for this amazing comment! I'm so glad you've enjoyed the pickled okra recipe and that you've played around with making it your own. Keep on cooking!

    9. Denise says

      September 12, 2019 at 8:31 pm

      If you wanted to do a larger volume of these, could these be canned in a water bath? If so, how long would you process them? Also, the description says something about peppercorns, but the recipe doesn’t say an amount. Did you use peppercorns in the liquid?

      • Whitney Reist says

        September 13, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        Hi Denise! I did use 1 tablespoon of peppercorns in the recipe and that is now in the ingredients list. I have not tested the acidity of this recipe to determine if it is safe for water bath canning. However, similar recipes for spicy pickled okra suggest using apple cider vinegar that is 5% acidity and processing the okra jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. So I would start there. Hope that helps!

      • Denise says

        September 14, 2019 at 8:57 pm

        Thanks, Whitney! I am going to give it a try tomorrow. By the way, we tried the finished product of these today. (I made them last weekend.). Two thumbs up from everyone!

      • Whitney Reist says

        September 15, 2019 at 11:34 am

        Oh wow that is so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know - I'm so glad the family enjoyed!

    5 from 15 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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