I tried the recipe that was posted earlier this month on freezer pickled veggies. Most of them turned out great, but my okra got slimy. Any ideas on how to prevent this?
Okra must be washed, dried, sliced and saute in some oil and put in an airtight container when you like to eat make a tomato chutney and add it to that.
I've not pickled okra by myself, but I watched & helped my mother & grandmother years ago. I've tried the freezer method & not only were the okra's slimey, but they just didn't taste as good! The secret is to get the vinegar into the pods - the acid in the vinegar cuts the slimey - just as boiling tomatoes with okra is not slimey - the acid in the tomatoes. The salt is the preservative.
The method I'm describing here is the boiling water bath & you can use any large kettle that will allow you to cover the tops of the jars by at least 2 inches. It's not really that hard & our pickled okra was never, ever slimey. The first thing we did was to trim the top off, but to not cut all the way down to the veggie. And we didn't cut off the tip end either. Then we punctured the pods several times along the sides with a fork - this allows the brine & vinegar to go inside the pods-more vinegary taste than salty taste, taste it & gauge for yourself.
After soaking over night, we drained the vinegar & salt brine from the pods & threw it away. Then we made fresh brine with vinegar, water & just a touch of sugar & heated to boiling. While this mixture was heating we packed sterilized pint jars with the pods & sometimes also fresh garlic &/or a small hot red pepper & a spoonful of the seasonings, about as tight as we could get them without squishing - up to about 1/2-inch from the top of the jar. Once the mix had come to a boil, we poured it into the jars over the pods up to about 1/4-inch from the top.
Wiped off the mouth of the jar, put on sterilized jar lids & screw bands & processed for about 10 or 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Our pickled okra was never slimey & the taste was out of this world! Dang! Now I'm gonna have to locate some young, fresh okra!
Okra....a big ingredient in gumbo...why? Because it thickens the broth. What thickens the broth. Tthe substance that is making your pickles slimey. I've never actually pickled them, but that is why your pickles were slimey. Did you leave them whole? Did you cut the top ends off? If you did that may be the cause. I'd leave them whole with the stems on to keep the sap inside the fruit, or is it a vegetable? :)
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Request: Pickling Okra (08/20/2009)
I'm new at gardening, and I'm trying freezing and canning, too. I want to pickle okra, but I blanched and froze a few days worth so that I could keep them fresh until I gathered enough to fill a jar.
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Request: Pickling Okra
Archived on 08/20/2009
I'm new at gardening, and I'm trying freezing and canning, too. I want to pickle okra, but I blanched and froze a few days worth so that I could keep them fresh until I gathered enough to fill a jar.
I'm afraid I messed up and now shouldn't use them to pickle, because they will not be in the refrigerator and they've been blanched (slightly cooked). Not sure, help.
I don't believe your okra would be crispy enough since you have blanched it. We just wash and dry our pods and pack them in jars. Here is my recipe:
3 1/2 lbs small okra pods
7 garlic cloves
7 small fresh hot peppers (optional)
1 quart water
2 cups vinegar (5% acidity)
1/3 cup pickling salt
2 teaspoons dill seeds
Pack okra tightly into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Place a clove of garlic and a hot pepper in each of the jars. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Pour boiling mixture over okra, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids and screw on bands. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes.
This recipe is from Southern Living and is the best we have found. Good luck with yours. (07/16/2009)
