What To Do With Okra After Picking

November 14, 2024 Post a Comment

What to do with okra after picking

Okra is excellent stewed, sautéed, stir-fried, and deep-fried. It makes excellent pickles as well. Okra goes well with tomatoes, onions, peppers, corn, and eggplants. The viscous liquid cut okra gives off will thicken any liquid it's cooked in, making it a wonderful addition to stews.

Do you wash okra after picking?

Only wash fresh okra right before you're about to cook with it. The tender pods absorb water, which could allow mold to grow while it's being stored. Instead, wrap whole, dry okra in a paper towel and place it in a plastic bag, poking holes in the bag for air circulation.

How do you preserve okra from the garden?

Place whole pods into airtight freezer bags or containers. Or cut pods crosswise prior to freezing. For either method, you can also individually quick freeze pods or pieces by placing them on a parchment-lined tray and slipping it into the freezer for a few hours. Once they're frozen, place them into freezer bags.

How do you clean okra after harvesting?

Wash off okra in the sink and cut off the stem. You need to blanch the pods. So, put the whole pod into boiling water for around 3 minutes.

Can you freeze fresh okra without cooking?

If you prefer, you can also freeze the okra whole. Lay the okra out single file on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Single layer will prevent the okra from sticking together in a big frozen mass. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Do you wash fresh okra before freezing?

Wash the fresh okra and pat it dry to remove any excess moisture. Take a small knife and slice the okra into ½ inch rounds (Garcia suggests keeping a paper towel handy to keep your knife blade clean and dry as you go along). Spread the okra onto baking pans until you have enough to fill a large freezer bag.

How do you store okra without freezing it?

Before storing okra, make sure it is completely dry. Wet okra is a breeding ground for mold, so hold off on washing the vegetable until just before you're ready to cook. Store fresh okra in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

How do you prepare fresh okra for freezing?

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 1/2-inch headspace.

How do you freeze okra to fry later?

How do I make fried okra for the freezer? It's really super easy. You simply just coat the sliced okra in a flour/cornmeal mixture, flash freeze, & store in bags.

How do you get the slime out of okra fast?

One popular way to reduce okra's sliminess is to "soak it in vinegar for 30 minutes [before cooking with it], which helps to break up and dissolve the slime," says food scientist, food industry consultant, and author Bryan Le.

What can you do with okra that is too big?

Slowly cook your overlarge okra into a gumbo or stew to soften their pod structure. The key here is to cut the okra into bite-size pieces, so the fruit (yes, okra technically is a fruit) is tender.

When should I stop picking okra?

Harvest the okra when seed pods are 1 to 2 days old and 2 to 4 inches long; these appear about 2 months after planting. This is when okra is at its softest and most digestible.
Cut the stem just above the cap with a knife. If the stem is too hard to cut, the pod is probably too old and should be tossed.

Is frozen okra still slimy?

If you freeze okra and cut it while it is still frozen, it will less slimy than when you cut it fresh. A second trick for reducing sliminess is to soak the okra in vinegar for half an hour before cooking it. Rinse it and pat dry before cooking.

Is frozen okra as good as fresh?

Our fried okra recipes call for fresh okra because frozen okra has a softer texture than fresh. We prefer to use frozen okra in recipes for soups and stews, including, of course, gumbo.

Can you vacuum seal and freeze fresh okra?

How do I freeze whole fresh picked okra so it won't look awful after cooking? The secret to freezing okra is to use a vacuum sealer. I don't even blanch the okra and it turns out just fine. If you want to pan fry it after freezing, cut it lengthwise while still frozen, coat the cut side with cornmeal, and fry.

How do you can or freeze okra?

Here's how you do it:

Wash and Stem Okra.
Blanch and Shock Okra.
Chop Okra (or don't)
Freeze Okra on a Baking Sheet.
Transfer Okra to Freezer Bag.

How do you harvest and store okra?

Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) long. If you leave them too long, the pods get hard and woody. Once you're done picking okra, store them in plastic bags in your refrigerator where they will last about a week or freeze the pods if you have too much to use.

How do you clean and store okra?

Don't wash okra pods. Wrap okra in dry paper towels and seal in a Glad® Food Storage Zipper Bag. Cut holes in the bag to allow for air circulation. Okra is best used as soon as possible.

Why do you blanch okra before freezing?

Can you freeze okra without cooking it? The short answer is yes, but I would advise against it. The process of baking (or blanching if you want to go that route) helps break down enzymes in the okra. Breaking these down helps preserve the flavor and texture of the okra itself.

Is it OK to fry frozen okra?

Frozen okra needs to be thawed completely before cooking, but just be warned, the thawed okra will be wet (which can make it mushy). We recommend draining it and patting it dry completely with paper towels before breading and frying.