How to Freeze Okra (2024)

FAQs

How to Freeze Okra? ›

Wash and dry the okra, then slice off the woody tops. Lay out the okra on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for around two hours, or until the okra is frozen solid. Move the frozen okra into an airtight food storage container, like a sealed plastic bag, and return it to the freezer.

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.

While we encourage you to preserve as many nutrients as you can, you can skip the blanching and freeze the okra without it. It may lose some of its vibrant green color but, in my experience, the texture and flavor of frozen okra that has been blanched isn't much different from okra that hasn't.

It's really super easy. You simply just coat the sliced okra in a flour/cornmeal mixture, flash freeze, & store in bags. I find this to be the best way to freeze okra.

You can often save money by purchasing larger bags of frozen okra. Thaw only what you need at a time. To thaw frozen okra, place the amount you will need in the refrigerator overnight or thaw in a colander under running water. If you are boiling, steaming, or sauteeing – you do not need to thaw the okra first.

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.

Unfortunately, if vegetables are not blanched correctly, the vegetables can become too soft and essential nutrients, like vitamin C, can be lost. The high temperature of boiling water or steam weakens the cell walls and the vegetables lose their crunchy texture.

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.

Fresh okra is very perishable. Keep no more than two to three days in the refrigerator. Store in a paper bag or wrapped in a paper towel and placed inside a perforated plastic bag to keep pods very dry. Moisture causes pods to become slimy.

Many post-harvest practices such as use of calcium chloride, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), heat treatment, cold storage, use of plant extract, have been used to extend the shelf life okra and the use of plant extract is regarded as the cheapest, most practicable method but the ...

How do you preserve okra in a Mason jar? ›

Fill prepared jars with hot okra, leaving 1-inch headspace. If desired, add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt to pint jars; 1 teaspoon of salt to quart jars. Cover okra in jars with fresh boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe jar rims with clean, damp paper towel.

Cooking Giant Okra

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.

Depending on how you like to enjoy your okra, you can either chop it into bite-sized pieces now or leave the okra pods whole. If you plan on frying the okra, you can go ahead and toss the okra in your cornmeal mixture before freezing.

Wash and dry the okra, then slice off the woody tops. Lay out the okra on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for around two hours, or until the okra is frozen solid. Move the frozen okra into an airtight food storage container, like a sealed plastic bag, and return it to the freezer.

Transfer the okra to a ziplock freezer bag or freezer container. Having been frozen in a single layer they will come off the sheet easily as individual pieces of frozen okra. Label your freezer bag/container with the date and keep frozen until ready to use. It will keep for 10-12 months.

Fresh okra is very perishable. Keep no more than two to three days in the refrigerator. Store in a paper bag or wrapped in a paper towel and placed inside a perforated plastic bag to keep pods very dry. Moisture causes pods to become slimy.