We Tried 8 Pickled Okra Brands And Ranked Them From Worst To Best

If you live in the south, then you know okra. The green, fuzzy vegetable is a staple in the region, even though it's not native to the U.S. It's believed that okra was brought over with enslaved people from Africa sometime between the 16th and 19th centuries, though no one is sure exactly how. It's considered a healthy food packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

Okra is the food of my region. It's on pretty much every menu at every restaurant as a side, and you can bet all gardeners have a small plot of the vegetable. I know my mother did. According to her, it was the easiest thing to grow. Without a great deal of effort on her part, the plants produced massive okra the size of my forearm and continued to produce, even when it probably should have stopped. My family didn't complain. That just meant more fried okra and my personal favorite — pickled okra.

Seriously. Stop frying your okra and give pickling a chance. There's just something about that tangy flavor and crunch, along with the slightly fuzzy exterior. I could honestly demolish an entire jar in one sitting.

If you're also a fan of pickled okra, there are several options to consider at the store. Sure, they probably don't hold a candle to your grandmother's pickled okra, but they are still worth a try. We picked up eight pickled okra brands and ranked them from worst to best. Read on to find out which ones topped our list.

I was seriously looking forward to trying Wickles Wicked Okra. The labels are whimsical and promised a little pickled party on my tongue. Not to mention, Wickles is a brand known for its pickles. Started in 1998, the brand claims to use a 90-year-old family recipe. Wick Okra has everything from banana pepper rings to sandwich spread, relish, and yes, pickled okra. Wickles is definitely a brand that would help you elevate your bologna sandwich, whether using their pickled okra or their spread.

Back to the point — I was eager to see if the okra lived up to the hype. As Wickles is the first on the list, you can probably guess that I was disappointed. They have pretty standard ingredients: water, vinegar, salt, and garlic. However, Wickles also has something that I wasn't expecting to see in pickled okra, namely sugar, apple cider vinegar, and red chili peppers. It sounded like an interesting mix, and I was optimistic until I took the first bite.

The okra was firm and crispy, which was better than some of the other brands on the list. However, the very first thing you taste is an overwhelming sweetness that won't go away, even after the vinegar and red chili kicked in. I normally like a good sweet and sour moment, but Wickles didn't blend very well. The sour and sweet were fighting for dominance, leaving a weird aftertaste. Once the sugar finally dies down, the burn of the onion, garlic, and vinegar kicks in and doesn't go away. Maybe it's because I'm not a fan of sweet or bread and butter pickles, but these were a pass for me.

Mt. Olive is another heavy hitter when it comes to pickle brands. Its been around since 1926 and carry everything from jalapeños to gherkins. In fact, it claim to be the top brand for relish, pickles, and peppers in the United States. You honestly can't walk into a grocery store without seeing Mt. Olive products on the shelf. With that in mind, I fully expected this brand to know what it was doing with pickled okra. I've had their pickles before, and they are toppings that absolutely belong on your chicken sandwich.

These pickled okras are gluten-free, which is a bonus for anyone with celiac disease. They also have the usual suspects in terms of ingredients — vinegar and salt, plus natural and artificial flavors. I went with their hot version over the mild, mostly because I like my food with a kick.

Right off the bat, the okra was squished, shredded, and didn't look super appetizing when I opened the jar. That's neither here nor there since it could have just been that particular jar and not necessarily the entire batch. While the okra did have a kick to it, there was an odd sort of aftertaste, which is why it ranks so low on our list. I couldn't quite place it at first, but it was slightly similar to the aftertaste of bread and butter pickles. Which was a bit weird, if I'm being honest, because you also got a good spicy burn with it. I didn't like that the taste lingered too long. There are times when this is a good thing, but not so much with Mt. Olive. The okra was also on the mushy side and broke apart oddly once you started chewing.

I'm not going to have a ranking without including at least one value brand on the list. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: being a budget brand doesn't automatically mean it's going to taste bad. Best Choice is a common value brand at the small, locally owned grocery chain in my town, and I've had them on pretty much every list I've done. The brand encompasses a wide range of products, from paper towels to various food items and condiments.

I was cautiously optimistic about Best Choice's pickled okra. Again, pretty common ingredients with nothing that stood out as different or unusual. The brand only has one type, and I wasn't sure from looking at the label whether it would be mild or spicy. I suppose that's all part of the surprise. When I opened the jar, the okra had a good green color to it and looked good.

When it came to taste, Best Choice wasn't bad at all. The okra had a nice crunch when you bit in and a fairly mild taste, though there was a hint of mustard that hit your tongue last. Again, this wasn't particularly bad, but it also didn't stand out all that much. With this group of brands, there were definitely some big standouts, so that's the only reason Best Choice is ranked so low. This pickled okra was forgettable.

The next entry on our ranking is Old South Crisp Fresh Pickled Okra. Old South is another brand that is no stranger to pickling. Although we can't be sure if it uses the hot or cold method when it comes to pickling, Old South has no shortage of such items, from tomatoes to cocktail onions, garlic, baby corn, and watermelon rind. The company has been around since 1947, claiming that its okra is packed "fresh from the field."

Old South has all the regular trappings for pickled okra — vinegar, salt, natural spices, and flavors. It's also gluten-free and contains vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. The okra was very plump in the jar and had a pleasant, strong pickle smell, which had my mouth watering before I even took a bite.

The okra itself was very crisp and had a mild flavor. The vinegar wasn't overwhelming, and the taste doesn't linger on the tongue for too long. Old South really didn't have any downsides to it. However, like Best Choice, it was a bit forgettable. If you're looking for a tasty, mild pickled okra, this is likely the brand for you. However, if you want something with more heat to it, then you'll want to choose another brand on our list.

What is it about pickled okra made in Texas? There are several brands on our ranking that are based in Texas, and most of them ranked pretty high. Best Maid Pickled Okra is one of those. The brand was established in 1926 in Fort Worth, Texas. Today, Best Maid is known for their hamburger pickles, which are the best store-bought dupe for McDonald's pickles, relish, pickle juice, and, of course, pickled okra.

In addition to the ingredients you expect in pickled okra, Best Maid also has onion spices, which help to even out the overall flavor. I wanted to deduct points for the jar being so difficult to get into, but then I realized that's probably more of a "me" problem than an overall issue. The okra had a good aroma once I was finally able to get into the jar. There were no issues with the veg being ripped or deformed like other brands on the list, and they had a nice green color to them.

Old Maid definitely leans into its background as a pickle-maker. Its okra was reminiscent of dill pickles with a smooth, mild flavor. It definitely wasn't hot, nor did the vinegar or salt scorch your tongue with an aftertaste. The onion spices really helped round out the overall flavor. While I do often prefer a spicier flavor, I very much enjoyed Old Maid for a mild okra.

Now, Talk 'O Texas is usually my go-to when it comes to pickled okra. It's the only brand that's typically in stock at my local Walmart, and I've previously had both their hot and mild flavors. The brand started as a family business in 1950 in San Angelo, Texas. (Once again, Texas knows pickled okra.) To this day, that remains their only product.

There are no surprises with the ingredients list, but honestly, if it's not broken, then why fix it? For this taste test, I went with their mild flavor since I wanted to keep things pretty, even between hot and mild. But don't get confused — just because it's mild doesn't mean that it's going to be bland. You can still get a good flavor blend.

Talk 'O Texas stands on its own. The okra was nice and crispy as you bit into it, and the flavor had a nice warm spice to it. Everything blends together smoothly so that no one taste overpowers the other. When you're dealing with pickled food, you always run the risk of the vinegar or other flavors being overwhelming; however, not with these pickled okras. There's no sharp, lingering flavor clinging to your tongue or throat. Full disclosure: This is one of my personal favorite brands.

Tiffe's Louisiana was yet another brand that I was eager to try. Anything with Cajun spices is automatically going to find itself at the top of my list since I love the bold heat. Even though I got the mild version rather than the hot, I had a gut feeling that Tiffe's pickled okra was going to leave a good impression on my tongue. And as you can see from where it sits on our ranking, I was not disappointed at all.

The biggest differentiation between Tiffe's and other brands on our list is the ingredients. They've added onion, garlic, mustard seeds, and extra spices to the vinegar and salt. In fact, the first thing you smell when you open the jar is the spices, which is always a good sign. The mustard seeds float around in the brine, alongside the okra, which have a nice color to it.

The first taste was so good. The okra had a crispy crunch, followed by a warm blend of spices, including the onion, garlic, and mustard seed. That last one brings the whole flavor palette together with a peppery hit. While you get a good dose of flavor, it's not too much (again, this is the mild version). Tiffe's proves that you can pack a good amount of flavor into even the mildest of pickled okra.

And finally, we have reached the top of my list. I hadn't heard of Lara's Gourmet Passions as a brand before, and I couldn't find a lot of information on it. From what I can tell, it's a specialty brand that has everything from pickled fruit and vegetables to cocktail mixers and coffee. It appears to be available at super stores like Walmart. It ended up being the most expensive pickled okra on our list, but boy, was it worth the price.

Again, there didn't look to be anything out of the norm with the ingredients. It included vinegar, salt, and natural spices and flavors. I was eager to try it because, as stated, I like spicy food, and I had chosen the hot variety (a regular, mild version is also available). One bite and I knew that fresh ingredients definitely matter when you're pickling. Lara's pickled okra had a delicious crunch, indicative of the freshness of the veggie when it went into the brine. It was firm, with no mushiness.

Lara's has a definite kick to it that you get immediately, thanks to the blend of spices. It's then followed by a nice, warm burn that fills your mouth. I know that sounds strange, but I'm talking about that good burn that you get from perfectly spiced food. Not too much, but at the same time, not so mild as to be boring.

How does one rank pickled okra? Don't they all taste the same? While I hate to call myself an expert on anything, growing up in the South and the Ozarks, I have consumed my fair share of pickled okra over the years. Not a church potluck or barbecue went by without including the briny treat as part of a relish or veggie tray. There were even a fair number of church ladies who did their own pickling. I, myself, have all of my great-grandmother's pickling recipes, though I've yet to try them out. I might even attempt this trick to make sure my pickles are super crunchy.

Regardless, I know a thing or two about what makes good pickled okra. While doing my taste test, I kept a few elements in mind. First of all, I considered the appearance of the okra. If it looked discolored or was nice and plump. Then, I looked at the consistency. A really good pickled okra is going to maintain its crispiness, even though it's been soaked in pickling brine. You do not want a mushy okra.

Lastly, we had the actual taste. While this was a bit trickier since I included a variety of mild and hot pickled okra, at the end of the day, I wanted something that had a good amount of kick to it, but wasn't super sharp. No matter how much you may love pickled okra, you probably don't want to still taste it an hour later. While I love the treat, I don't particularly like it tainting everything else I might eat or drink for the rest of the day.