How to Freeze Okra

Homemade Frozen Okra

One of my favorite soups to make is Gumbo. With its subtle hint of spiciness combined with chicken, kielbasa, and shrimp over rice and a slice of crusty artisan bread with a velvety Merlot it’s the perfect cold weather dish! One ingredient in this recipe is Okra. My initial exposure to fresh Okra came when we rented our first house upon moving to Denver. It had a small vegetable garden in the back yard of which we had access to. Okra was growing in it, although I had no idea what it was at the time. When I started to make Gumbo on a regular basis, I discovered Okra wasn’t always easy to come by and when you could find Okra it was in the freezer section of the grocery store.

This challenge is what motivated me to grow Okra in our Market Garden. Once it took off, I realized I had no idea how or when to harvest it – another example of my over zealousness in the veggie garden! A fellow farmer clued me in on when to harvest and how big to let the pods grow. With that bit of knowledge tucked under our belt I’ve begun to harvest it on a weekly basis. Of course, I learned shortly thereafter that there wasn’t a huge market for Okra, either someone else was already growing it, or people just weren’t interested in buying it. So, I quickly found myself with a lot of Okra on my hands! This is when I remembered the difficulty, I have in finding it over the winter months and when I decided to learn how to freeze Okra! Now I will not have a shortage of this tasty vegetable when it comes time for me to make my Gumbo! So, without further ado, here is how you freeze Okra according to www.foodnetwork.com.

Step one:

First choose unblemished, young Okra for best results, usually between four to six inches in length. Large late-season pods are tough and cand be unpleasantly stringy.

Step two:

Rinse and trim. Gently rinse the pods. Trim the stem ends but be careful not to trim so far that you expose the seeds. If you suspect your Okra might have pesticides or pests, you can soak it in a mix of half water, and half white vinegar for two minutes and then drain.

Step three:

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.  Next fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the Okra to the boiling water and cook until its color is bright green and the pod barely soften (about three minutes). Drain the Okra and immediately chill the pods in the ice water. Drain and pat dry, at this point the Okra might feel a little slimy to the touch.

Step four:

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 little bit of both.

Step Five:

Freeze. Please the pods in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Freeze until solid, about two hours. Transfer to resealable freezer bags or airtight containers. Label and freeze up to nine months.

How to Thaw Frozen Okra 

For Gumbo stews and curry, you can add Okra directly from the freezer 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, about one to two hours.

And there you have it!

Bon Appetit!