Pickled Okra

Since posting the recipe for the Bullshot with a pickled okra garnish (October 2013) , I’ve been intrigued by this. The boy isn’t keen on the sliminess of okra but this version makes them crisp and crunchy. Not 100% sure I can persuade him of that though.

700g okra

4 garlic cloves

4 slices lemon

475ml cider vinegar

400ml water

3tbsp flaky sea salt

1tbsp sugar

Pickling spices

2tbsp mustard seeds

1tbsp coriander seeds

1tbsp chilli flakes

1tsp peppercorns

1tsp fennel seeds

Sterilise your jars – I’m assuming you will use four. Wash and trim the okra. You want to get them roughly the same size.

Heat up the vinegar with the water, salt and sugar and get it to a rolling boil. This will look good, and therefore more appealing to the boy if you put it together as follows. Put a slice of lemon at the bottom of each jar. Put a garlic clove in and sprinkle in a quarter of the pickling spices into each.

Push the okra in, ideally putting half in stem side up and half stem side down. Pour in the hot vinegar and seal. Okra pods are full of cavities so give the jars a couple of knocks to get the vinegar into any air pockets.

I learned about this as a garnish to the Bloody Bull cocktail but these are good as an unusual pickle on their own. Put one on the boy’s plate with some Lincolnshire Poacher cheese and hot buttered toast, in a month or so and see if he resists.