How To Freeze Okra
Tips On How to Freeze Okra
Learning how to freeze okra is a necessary task if you grow your own okra at home or if you have purchased it in bulk to take advantage of great seasonal rates. This fruit is prepared and eaten as a vegetable all over the world, especially in African countries. Deep frying, stir frying, and grilling are a few of the most popular methods of cooking okra; however it can also be made into a tasty stew dish called gumbo. If you like to enjoy okra year round, then freezing is the only method of storage that will allow you to keep this fruit for up to a year.
The answer to your “how to freeze okra” question is much the same as freezing any other type of fruit or vegetable. If you obtain it fresh from a garden or even a supermarket, you will need to go through a process called “blanching”. This is a necessary step to ensure that not only are excess bacteria and pesticides removed from the okra, but it plays a vital role in neutralizing special enzymes that causes vegetables to break down. If the blanching process if skipped on a fresh-picked harvest, the result is likely to be okra that is seriously lacking in flavor, texture, and color upon defrosting.
We will discuss the blanching process in just a moment, but first we need to cover how to prepare the okra before blanching can be done properly. First, rinse the okra pods well under cold running water. A hand-held vegetable brush can be really handy here. Once the okra is void of dirt, pat it dry with a paper towel and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top portions containing the stems as well as the pointed ends at the bottom. You don’t want to cut so far into the “body” of the pod that you remove seeds, although you can’t help but slice through a few seeds when removing the top portion of the okra pod. The idea is to simply remove the stems.
Now the blanching process can begin! This can be done two ways, depending on how you want to cook the okra later on. If you want to batter and fry the okra, you will need to use the dry-blanching method. To do this, chop the okra into half-inch wide slices and spread them out onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the okra at 350 degrees F for about ten minutes, then remove and allow the okra pieces to cool.
The good old-fashioned blanching method, used for almost all vegetables, is bringing a large pot of water to a boil. This works best if you use a pot that has a lid. Once the water hits a rolling boil, drop the okra in, cover with the lid, and start the timer. Most okra can be blanched within three or four minutes, but extremely large pods may take five minutes. If you want to do several batches of blanching in the same day, feel free to re-use the water four or five times, just be sure to keep an eye on the water level and top up as needed. Once the okra has boiled for the appropriate amount of time, remove it from the pot and place the okra into ice water. Let them sit for about five minutes or until they have cooled.
Whether you use the dry or the traditional blanching method, the okra must be allowed to cool before it is placed into storage bags. You will get the best results if you use freezer bags that contain a zip-lock type of closure. Vacuum-seal bags are even better and will keep your okra super-fresh throughout the year. The idea is to get as much air out of the bag as possible, otherwise your precious okra will end up with freezer burn. Dating the bag with a permanent marker is optional, but it’s a good idea to do so if you are often storing okra in the freezer. This way you can use up the older okra first.
I hope this article has given you a better understanding of how to freeze okra. This storage process applies to most fruits, vegetables, and berries, so don’t be afraid to purchase a lot of your favorite seasonal crops if you find them on offer at your local supermarket.