Preserving Okra
Freezing
Okra 1
The smooth type varieties freeze as well as or
better than the ridged varieties because they do
not split as easily.
Preparation
Select
young tender pods and separate into smallpods (4 inches or under) and
large pods. Wash.
Remove the stems at the end of
the seed cells, being careful not to expose the seed cell.
Water
blanch small pods 3 minutes and large pods 4 minutes.
Cool
promptly and drain. Leave whole or slice crosswise.
Package,
leaving ½-inch head space. Seal and freeze.
For
Frying
Wash and remove stems.
Blanch
small pods 3 minutes and large pods 4 minutes.
Cool promptly
and drain. Slice crosswise and dredge with meal or flour.
Spread
in a single layer on shallow
trays. Place in freezer just long enough to freeze firm.
Package
quickly leaving ½-inch
head space. Seal and freeze.
Pickled or Non-Fermented Foods:
Pickled
Dilled Okra 2
Image credit: RobertMPeacock/iStock/Thinkstock.com
7
lbs small okra pods
6
small hot peppers
4 tsp dill seed
8 to 9 garlic cloves
2/3
cup canning or pickling salt
6 cups water
6 cups
vinegar (5 %)
Yield
8
to
9 pints
Procedure
Wash
and trim okra.
Fill jars firmly with whole okra, leaving 1/2-inch
headspace.
Place 1 garlic clove in each jar.
Combine salt, hot peppers,
dill seed, water, and vinegar in large saucepan and bring to a boil.
Pour hot pickling solution over okra, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Adjust
lids and process according to the recommendations in the table below.
Recommended process time for
pickled dilled okra in a boiling-water canner.
| Process Time at Altitudes of | | Style of Pack | Jar
Size | 0–1,000 ft | 1,001–6,000
ft | Above 6,000 ft | | Hot | Pints | 10 min | 15 | 20 | | After the process is complete, turn off
the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait five minutes before removing
jars. |
Preparing Okra for Canning
3
Quantity
An
average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average
of 7 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 26
pounds and yields 16 to 18 quarts -- an average of 1-1/2 pounds per
quart.
Quality
Select
young, tender pods. Remove and discard diseased and rust-spotted pods.
Procedure
Wash
pods and trim ends.
Leave whole or cut into 1-inch pieces.
Cover with
hot water in a saucepan, boil 2 minutes and drain.
Fill jars with hot
okra and cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Add 1 teaspoon of
salt per quart to the jar, if desired.
Adjust lids
and process following the recommendations in Table 1 and Table 2
according to the method of canning used.
Table 1. Recommended process
time for okra in a dial-gauge pressure canner.
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | | Style of Pack | Jar
Size | Process Time | 0 -
2,000 ft | 2,001 - 4,000 ft | 4,001 -
6,000 ft | 6,001 - 8,000 ft | | Hot | Pints | 25 min | 11 lb | 12 lb | 13 lb | 14 lb | | Quarts | 40 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | | *After the canner is completely
depressurized, remove the weight from
the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the
lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from
you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face. |
Table 2. Recommended Process
Time for okra in a weighted-gauge pressure canner
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | | Style of Pack | Jar
Size | Process Time | 0–1,000
ft | Above
1,000
ft | | Hot | Pints | 25 min | 10 lb | 15 lb | | Quarts | 40 | 10 | 15 | | *After the canner is completely
depressurized, remove the weight from
the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the
lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from
you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face. |
Selecting, Preparing, and
Canning: Tomatoes with Okra or Zucchini 4
Quantity
An
average of 12 pounds of tomatoes and 4 pounds of okra or zucchini is
needed per canner load of 7 quarts. An average of 7 pounds of tomatoes
and 2-1/2 pounds of okra or zucchini is needed per canner load of 9
pints.
Procedure
Wash
tomatoes and okra or zucchini.
Dip tomatoes in boiling water 30 to 60
seconds or until skins split.
Then dip in cold water, slip off skins,
remove cores, and quarter.
Trim stems from okra and slice into 1-inch
pieces or leave whole.
Slice or cube zucchini if used.
Bring tomatoes
to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.
Add okra or zucchini and boil gently 5
minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart to the jars, if desired.
Fill jars with mixture, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and
process according to the recommendations in Table 1 or Table 2,
depending on the method of canning used.
Variation
You
may add four or five pearl onions or two onion slices to each jar.
Table 1.Recommended process time
for Tomatoes with Okra or Zucchini in a dial-gauge pressure canner.
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | | Style of Pack | Jar
Size | Process Time | 0 -
2,000 ft | 2,001 - 4,000 ft | 4,001 -
6,000 ft | 6,001 - 8,000 ft | | Hot | Pints | 30 min | 11 lb | 12 lb | 13 lb | 14 lb | | Quarts | 35 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | | *After the canner is completely
depressurized, remove the weight from
the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the
lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from
you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face. |
Table 2. Recommended process
time for Tomatoes with Okra or Zucchini in a weighted-gauge
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | | Style of Pack | Jar
Size | Process Time | 0–1,000
ft | Above
1,000
ft | | Hot | Pints | 30 min | 10 lb | 15 lb | | Quarts | 35 | 10 | 15 | | *After the canner is completely
depressurized, remove the weight from
the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the
lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from
you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face. |
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