Who doesn’t love okra fresh from the harden in the summer or from the farmers market?
Did you know okra is also in the same family as cotton, cacao and hibiscus (Malvaceae or Mallow)? One difference, however, is that it is high in soluble fiber, even though that comes from the mucilage that some people think of as too slimy.
Perhaps you have noticed the hibiscus-like flowers that grow from the tall, upright okra plant. Usually just five to six days after flowering, the young seed pods are harvested for eating, plucked when they are 2½ to 3½ inches long. (Quick tip: If you’re an okra grower, try harvesting these tender pods two to three times a week to increase the yield.)
Originating from Africa, okra now grows widely throughout the hot, southern portion of the United States, peaking in July and August. It is considered a warm, seasonal vegetable.
Once you’ve had enough fresh Southern-style fried okra, preserve those precious pods by freezing, drying, pickling or canning them.
Handle okra pods carefully, as they will turn brown or black if bruised. Discard any bruised pods when selecting for preserving.
If you have sensitive skin, then you may also want to wear cotton gloves while handling okra to protect your hands from the small spines on the plants and pods, which can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.
All of the below mentioned ways of preserving okra can be found on the National Center of Home Food Preservation website https://nchfp.uga.edu/ or our website at www.aces.edu under pickled products.
Please be sure to follow USDA recipes when preserving any type of low acid food such as vegetables and meats. If you have a recipe that your mother or grandmother used before 1994, you are using outdated recipes, and they need to be updated. Botulism is a very real bacteria that can form in home-preserved vegetables, so please only follow USDA tested recipes to prevent it.
Canning okra
Okra is a low-acid food for canning purposes, so it must be canned with a pressure canner to ensure the safety of the final product. Using a proper pressure canning process and the recommended process times, okra can be canned by itself or with tomatoes.
Directions for canning okra call for tender young pods to be washed and ends trimmed, then left whole or cut into 1-inch pieces. Okra should only be canned as a hot pack, with pre-heating the pods. Even though the instructions indicate the cooking liquid can be used for covering the pieces in the jars, you might prefer to have fresh boiling water to use in filling over the pieces in the jars. This helps reduce the mucilage and keep the liquid in the jars clearer after canning.
Pickling okra
Well known throughout the southern states, pickled okra makes a great, tangy snack.
As with pickled products in general, pickled dilled okra contains enough vinegar in proportion to solid food that the previously low-acid food becomes acidified. Unlike okra by itself, which is a low-acid food, properly acidified foods like pickled okra can be safely processed in a boiling water canner.
When pickling, use commercially prepared vinegar with 5% acetic acid to be sure to achieve adequate acidification. Do not alter vinegar, product or water proportions in a recipe or use vinegar with unknown acidity. Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients. There must be a minimum, uniform level of acid throughout the mixed product to prevent the growth of botulism bacteria.
Freezing okra
Freezing okra is simple, follow the blanching instructions for the size of your pods to optimize quality in storage. Then quickly cool and drain pods, pack in freezer bags and remove as much air as possible, seal and freeze quickly.
For short-term freezer storage, you can wash and dry your okra and fast freeze – place whole pods or sliced 1-inch pieces out on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze for about two hours, then remove from cookie sheet and place in freezer storage bags or containers and remove all the air to prevent freezer burn and use within 6 months.
Drying okra
Drying okra is also a simple process. To have a nicer product that doesn’t turn an ugly brown, it’s best to blanch for four minutes whole, then dry well and cut up or split in half lengthwise to dry.
Then follow what your dehydrator directions for how long to dehydrate. Some recipes say not to blanch, but your final product will turn brown and not hold its color as well.
Your final product, whether done in a dehydrator or an oven at home that will register 140 degrees, will be tough and brittle but when rehydrated will look just like fresh okra. It’s wonderful in soups and other dishes that have a lot of moisture.
Think safety
Preserving okra might be a creative process, but it’s most important to think “safety.” Follow USDA-tested recommendations. Creating your own canning procedures and recipes could result in a hazardous product because the pH of raw okra is above 4.6, which is perfect for the growth of botulism if not preserved correctly.
USDA recommends using any of the products you preserve at home in a year for best quality.
For more questions on food preservation please contact Angela Treadaway, Extension food safety and quality agent, at 205-410-3696 or email treadas@aces.edu for the latest info on safe preserving methods and recipes. You can also visit our website at www.aces.edu or connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/acesfoodsafety
Angela Treadaway is a regional Extension agent.
August 04, 2020 at 03:02AM
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Okra, okra, okra (column) | The St. Clair Times - Anniston Star
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