How to Freeze Okra
It can be hard to find out of season, so freeze okra for great meals down the road.
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By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen
Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network.
A single okra plant can produce up to 30 pods, enough for a huge vat of gumbo or curry, a mountain of fried spears or jars upon jars of pickles. So, what’s an okra lover to do when faced with this staggering summer bounty? We suggest packing some of that abundance from your garden or farmers' market away in the freezer. Okra can be tricky to find out of season, so having a stash at home means you can enjoy your favorite recipes year-round. Here’s the best way to freeze okra in four easy steps, plus recipes for using your bounty.
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How to Freeze Okra
Choose unblemished, young okra for best results; large, late-season pods can be unpleasantly stringy.
Step 1: Rinse and Trim. Gently rinse the pods. If you think your okra might have pesticides or pests, you can soak it in a mix of half water, half white vinegar for 2 minutes and then drain. Trim the stem ends but be careful not to trim so far that you expose seeds.
Step 2: Blanch and Shock. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous four-finger pinch of salt to the water if you like. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the okra to the boiling water and cook until its color brightens and the pods barely soften, about 3 minutes. Drain the okra and immediately chill the pods in the ice water. Drain and pat dry.
Step 3: Cut or Leave Whole. Consider how you usually use okra: If you want pieces for gumbo or sauteed side dishes, slice it before freezing. On the other hand, if you like whole pods for frying or roasting you can leave them whole. Or, do a bit of both.
Step 4: Freeze Place the pods in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours. Transfer to resealable freezer bags or airtight containers, label and freeze for up to 9 months.
How to Thaw Frozen Okra
For stews like gumbo or curry, you can add okra directly from frozen to the pot. If you need to thaw it first, place it in the refrigerator overnight or put the bag or container in a basin of cold water and let it sit until defrosted, 1 to 2 hours.
Do You Have to Blanch Okra Before Freezing It?
While it’s not mandatory, briefly boiling okra and immediately cooling it before freezing will improve its quality. This technique deactivates enzymes that can affect its color and texture of okra. Complaints about this vegetable tend to focus on its sometimes mushy or slimy texture, two things that freezing without blanching may exacerbate. Plus, unblanched okra is more likely to cook up a less-than-appetizing khaki color in your dishes. That said, there’s nothing wrong with freezing raw okra, and if you typically use it in long-cooked stews anyway you may not even notice the difference. The choice is yours.
Recipes with Okra
In the United States, okra is almost synonymous with Southern cooking, but it’s a favorite ingredient in many parts of the world. Caribbean, Middle Eastern, Indian and Pakistani cuisines and other cuisines make ample use of it. Here’s just a sample of some great recipes featuring okra.
Flavorful okra stews are popular throughout the Middle East. Like many versions, this one includes lamb meat and gets deep, peppery flavor from Lebanese seven spice blend, also known as baharat.
Okra is a favorite in Indian cooking, where it’s known as bhindi. This curry is reminiscent of southern Indian dishes: A spiced tomato gravy is enriched with coconut and served over basmati rice. Monkfish maintains its shape well when stewed in the gravy, but you could also use halibut, sea bass or even shrimp.
Matt Armendariz, Copyright 2015
Spicy andouille sausage and okra are two of the hallmarks of a Louisiana gumbo. This recipe makes plenty; invite a crowd, or freeze some to enjoy for on-the-fly meals later.
Antonis Achilleos
Here’s a recipe packed with Southern American flavor and ingredients. If you can’t buy pre-smoked pork chops you can use ham steak, or use regular pork chops and increase the cooking time.
A hearty mix of rice, beans and vegetables star in this Southern-inspired vegetarian one-pot dish. Sliced okra is added to the dish during the final few minutes of cooking for a fresh, green finish.
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