How and Why to Make Fermented Okra for Improved Gut Health
Written and Photographed by: Dr Frannie Koe, MD
If you have ever grown okra, you have probably struggled with what to do with the overabundance of this veggie during the long, hot days of summer. Many Southern gardeners get a lot of okra! If you’re looking for a way to preserve your garden bounty and enjoy pickled okra, I suggest fermented okra. Not only is it easy to make, but fermented okra is also delicious, packed with nutrients, and good for your gut!
Fermented foods are fantastic for us—people have eaten them for centuries for the health benefits. You may already be familiar with fermented vegetables like cabbage (sauerkraut), but because every vegetable has its own unique microbiome, adding variety to your ferments beyond sauerkraut offers a greater range of beneficial bacteria for your gut. Besides the nutritional benefits, adding new foods to your diet can give you a wider variety of tastes and textures to make your meals more enjoyable and interesting, which helps picky eaters both young and old.
With okra, many people are afraid of the slime! Okra is a mucilaginous vegetable (which may have its own benefits related to our intestinal lining and gut health), but a lot of folks dislike the texture. I understand completely and often avoid cooking with okra in ways that highlight the sliminess. I only put a small amount of okra in my soups, and any I add just serves to thicken the broth. Fortunately, after testing out my first batch of fermented okra, I found that the lacto-fermentation process reduces the sliminess. It may leach out into the brine, but any slimy texture is not evident finished product of the fermented okra.
My eldest daughter, Holly, is an executive sous chef. She taught me that the foods that we most enjoy often combine flavors that are sweet, sour, salty, and savory in the same dish. We also enjoy crunchy foods, and fermented okra is delightfully crunchy.
One of my other favorite things about fermented okra is that you can preserve it without taking up valuable freezer space, which is always at a premium during the height of harvest season. It does, however, need to be refrigerated after the initial fermentation process. If you have a standard size fridge, this may not be an issue for you, but because I live in a tiny home, my refrigerator space is very limited. We have a separate fridge, although it is smaller because we rely on solar, that we use to store some of our additional ferments. This year, we made fermented okra for the first time and loved it so much that it didn’t last long! Next summer, I’m planning to ferment more during peak okra season to keep our fridge stocked with a variety of fermented vegetables.
When you are short on time, fermented okra is relatively quick to prepare, especially compared to more labor-intensive ferments like sauerkraut and kimchi. When I have harvested enough okra to fill a quart mason jar, I tightly pack the jar with pods, fill the jar to the top with filtered water and add 2 tablespoons of sea salt. I check my jars of fermented okra daily because the okra often absorbs some of the brine in the jars, which causes the water level to drop. If it drops enough and the tops of the okra pods become exposed to air, harmful bacteria can grow (rather than the beneficial lactobacillus we are looking for).
You can try using glass or stone fermentation weights to hold the okra below the level of the brine, but since I don’t have any that will fit in my jars, I just fill the jar as full as I can with okra and check daily to add more brine if it looks a little low. I have several types of fermentation lids, so I put one on the top of the jar. Then I leave it on a counter for about a week with a small cookie sheet under it to catch any liquid that can sometimes bubble out during fermentation. You can ferment the okra for up to 10 days, but I have had some failures with the longer fermentation time and usually stick to 7 days.
Once fermented, I move the jar to the fridge. The okra will continue to ferment slowly in the fridge. Over the next few weeks, you might need to add brine occasionally to keep it submerged and avoid the growth of harmless, but unappealing, white bacteria. If you see blue or black bacteria or mold growing, the okra is unsafe for consumption and needs to be thrown out immediately.
Once the okra has fully fermented (around 4 weeks), it won’t need additional water. At that point, the absorbed salt will prevent unwanted bacteria growth, even if the brine level has dipped a little.
10 Benefits of Eating Okra
Here are ten reasons you should add okra (fermented or fresh-cooked) to your diet. Many of these benefits apply to other vegetables, too—so don’t worry if okra isn’t your thing!
- Okra has soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps improve our ability to go to the bathroom! The fibers slow digestion and add bulk to help us poop better. Fiber also helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Soluble fiber dissolves in water. This helps make a gel like substance for the gut. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water but passes through the body undigested.
- There is research showing that okra may help combat H. Pylori, a bacterium that can overgrow in our gut and cause ulcers and inflammation. Gastritis is an inflammation in the gut which is often diagnosed when one has an EGD.
- Okra extract has been shown to reduce the adhesions of H. Pylori to the lining of the gut. https://pmc\.ncbi\.nlm\.nih\.gov/articles/PMC7865958/
- Okra, along with other fibrous foods, act as prebiotics that feed our beneficial bacteria. When our good bacteria are flourishing, we see a decrease in the more harmful bacterial overgrowth such as H. Pylori and others.
- Along with reducing inflammation in the stomach, okra can also help reduce inflammation in the colon, which can help prevent diverticulitis.
- Okra is high in potassium, which can help reduce blood pressure. Many other vegetables also do this. We need 3500 to 4700 mg of potassium each day. Each 1/2 – 1 c serving of fruits and vegetables has about 10 – 15% of our daily need. Some have more than others. To simplify your diet, eat 8 or more servings of veggies and fruits daily. If you know you are low, then you can eat more high-potassium foods. Okra has about 300mg in one cup of raw okra. Fermented products typically have more bioavailability of their nutrients! https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10051273/
- Okra has folic acid, B9, which helps reduce homocysteine, a marker for heart and brain health. Reducing homocysteine helps lower the risk of heart attacks, blood clots and strokes. I tell my patients I want them below 10, but below 6 is optimal. Reducing homocysteine may also be a factor in reducing your risk of dementia.
- Okra can improve eye health because of vitamin A, beta carotene and vitamin C. Vitamin C helps with collagen formation, which is important for the eyes. Many other vegetables also have this same advantage.
- Research shows that okra can be beneficial for the liver as it helps in detoxification of many substances.
- Okra has Quercetin, which is a substance that has been found to have anticancer properties.
- Okra can help relieve the symptoms of PMS! Magnesium, vitamin B6, and calcium help reduce moods swings, depression, anxiety, and headaches, including migraines! That can all come with PMS.
Fermented okra is a tasty, crunchy, and nutritious way to enjoy your garden harvest. If you’ve been hesitant about okra because of its texture, fermentation might be the perfect solution. We hope you’ll try it and let us know what you think!
