Fermented Okra

Behold, Fermented Okra!  Research shows that okra is already jam packed with many health benefits.  These can include controlling blood sugar, reducing cholesterol, preventing constipation, preventing & controlling asthma, reduces sore throats to boosting the immune system & much more.  Okra is also loaded with vitamin A and vitamin C.  So in other words, we all need to eat more okra, and what better way to do so than to boost this food with lacto fermentation so we get probiotics as well!

Recipe makes 1 pint.

Ingredients for Fermented Okra:

• 1 teaspoon of dried dill seed.
• 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seed.
• 1/2 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns.
• 12 to 16 fresh okra pods.  washed and tops trimmed
• 2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic.
• 1/4 cup of onion sliced into chunks.
• 2 teaspoons of Celtic Sea Salt or other premium brand for the brine.
• 1 cup of filtered water.

Directions for Fermented Okra:

1. Wash the okra and trim the tops (don’t cut them off completely).
2. Add all the spices to the bottom of a 1-pint mason jar.
3. Pack the okra vertically into the jar.
4. Stuff the garlic slices and onion chunks in-between the okra.
5. Now make a salt water brine solution. To do this, dissolve 2 teaspoons of salt in your 1 cup of water for this 1-pint batch.
6. Fill your jar with this brine solution until about 1 inch from the jar lip.
7. Use some sort of weighty object to hold the okra under the brine solution. Be sure to place the jar in your sink as you do this as there is sure to be spillage. We sell our brine overflow cup as a weight here: Brine “Catch” Cup – Wide Mouth
8. Remove the cup and wipe off any debris on the lip of the cup and the jar, then put the cup back in. Install a Lid Gasket inside a Wide Mouth Fermenter Lid. Tighten the lid until snug.
9. Add tap water to a ClearView Airlock to the max line. Now gently insert the airlock into the hole of the fermenter lid until snug. Make sure not to push too deeply into the lid. As the fermentation happens, the water should move back and forth, and bubbles should move through the airlock, this is correct and indicates a tight seal.
10. Write down the date you began fermentation on the lid using a Lid Marking Pen. After 4 days, check to see if the okra is sour enough for you. If it is not, just add a day and re-check.
11. After fermentation is complete, remove the fermenter lid, cup, and airlock and replace with a Storage Lid. Place the okra in the refrigerator for storage.

For even better and more delectable recipes, check out our Fermentation Recipe Booklet, where you will find many recipes, tips and tricks for brine pickling, and so much more!