Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing and Blanching the Okra
• Part 2 of 3: Freezing okra for stews and casseroles
• Part 3 of 3: Freezing the okra for frying
• Tips
• What do you need

If you love the taste of okra, wait until it's time to harvest the okra and set aside some fresh pods to freeze. When you crave the taste of summer okra during the cold winter months, you will thank yourself for taking care of it ahead of time. Just make sure you freeze it using the correct technique: blanch it first, then cut it into chunks and freeze it quickly before storing. Otherwise, you may end up with mushy okra when you defrost it. See Step 1 for how to properly freeze okra.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing and Blanching the Okra

1. 1 Start with fresh okra. Don't try to freeze unripe or overripe okra, or you won't be happy with the taste and texture when you defrost it later. Choose bright, regular okra with no soft spots or bruises.
   • Choose fresh okra if possible. This allows the okra to be frozen before it starts to deteriorate and will taste better later.
   • If you don't grow okra or can't get it on the farm, try buying it from a farmer's market or from a store that has fresh stock on a regular basis. You don't want okra that has been on the shelf for days.
2. 2 Wash the okra. Rinse off dirt and debris with a stream of cool water. Use your hands to gently scrub the okra by massaging to rinse off the dirt instead of rubbing it. Okra is a rather fragile vegetable and can be easily damaged if handled roughly.
3. 3 Cut off the stems. Use a sharp knife to cut off the ends of the okra. Do not remove the entire top covering the seed disc cell; just cut off the stems. Exposing the seed disc cell will cause the okra to break quickly when blanching.
4. 4 Prepare a pot of boiling water. Pour water into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. It will be used to blanch the okra.
5. 5 Prepare an ice bath. Fill a bowl with ice and water. Okra should be thrown into a bowl immediately after blanching to prevent overcooking.
6. 6 Blanch the okra for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the okra in boiling water. If the pieces of okra are large, they should be boiled for 4 minutes. Blanch for just 3 minutes if the pieces are small. After the time has elapsed, remove the okra from the pan with a slotted spoon.
   • If you have a mixture of small and large pieces of okra, sort them before blanching. Blanch small pieces for 3 minutes and large pieces for 4 minutes. By doing this separately, you will preserve the texture of each one.
   • Blanching vegetables kills the enzymes that cause them to continue to ripen and ultimately rot, thereby helping to maintain their color, flavor, and texture. If you neglect to blanch the okra before freezing it, you will have soft, tasteless okra after thawing.
7. 7 Dip the okra in an ice bath for 3 to 4 minutes. As a general rule, you should refrigerate blanched vegetables for the same amount of time that you blanched them. So, if you blanch small pieces of okra for 3 minutes, refrigerate them for 3 minutes too. If blanching large pieces for 4 minutes, refrigerate them for 4 minutes too.
8. 8 Drain and dry the okra. Place the okra on a cutting board or tray and let it dry before continuing.

Part 2 of 3: Freezing okra for stews and casseroles

1. 1 Chop the okra. Think ahead of what you plan to use the okra for. If you put it in a stew, slice it horizontally to form chunks. If you plan to serve or stuff the okra as a side dish, cut it to length to create stripes. Leave the seeds intact.
   • If you want to cook fried okra, bread it before freezing.Follow the instructions in the next section.
2. 2 Place the okra on a baking sheet. Arrange the pieces on a single layer and make sure none of them touch each other.
3. 3 Freeze okra quickly. Place the tray in the freezer and freeze the okra for 1 hour, or until the pieces are firm and slightly icy. Do not leave okra in the freezer uncovered for more than an hour or the cold will affect its texture.
4. 4 Place okra in freezer bags. Fill each freezer bag within 3 cm of the top with frozen pieces of okra. Close the top of the bag, leaving enough room to hold the straw in the empty headspace. Squeeze the air out of the bag so that it fits snugly around the okra, then remove the straw and close the bag tightly.
   • Removing the air will prevent the okra from deteriorating quickly.
   • If you have a vacuum sealer, this machine will suck the air for you.
   • Consider marking the packages with the dates they were packed.
5. 5 Use frozen okra. Frozen okra can be added to stews and soup without thawing. In fact, it's better to cook okra straight away instead of defrosting it. The more okra is processed, the more likely it will be soft.

Part 3 of 3: Freezing the okra for frying

1. 1 Chop the okra into pieces. Using a sharp knife, cut the okra into small pieces that will cook evenly.
2. 2 Breaded okra. Fried okra is usually breaded in corn flour, or a mixture of corn flour and wheat flour. It is enough to roll the okra in regular corn flour or a mixture mixed with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Regardless of which mixture you choose, roll each piece of okra in a thin layer of breading and shake off any excess.
   • However, do not use wet batter to bread the okra before freezing, as it will not hold well in the freezer for a long time.
3. 3 Freeze okra quickly. Place the okra pieces on a baking sheet in one layer. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for an hour. Remove it from the freezer when the okra pieces are firm enough to hold their shape.
4. 4 Place okra in freezer bags. Fill each freezer bag within 3 cm of the top with frozen pieces of okra. Close the top of the bag, leaving enough space to hold the straw in the empty headspace. Squeeze the air out of the bag so that it fits snugly around the okra, then remove the straw and close the bag tightly.
5. 5 Roast the okra. When you're ready to use the okra, heat the oil or peanut butter in a large skillet. Let the oil heat up enough and sizzle as you add the cornmeal to the pan. Place frozen okra chunks directly in hot oil and saute until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Tips

• Okra can be frozen for up to one year.
• You can also try frying the okra instead of blanching. To do this, pour 2 tablespoons of oil for every 500 grams of okra into a deep skillet. Cook the okra for 5 minutes, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and let cool. Then put in freezer bags, remove air, seal and freeze.
• Only young and tender okra should be frozen; old okra may taste bad after freezing and of course it won't improve by freezing it!
• Label and date frozen okra bags.

What do you need

• Knife
• Large saucepan
• Colander, frying basket or slotted spoon
• Ice water bowl
• Freezer bag that can be tightly closed