Learn how to freeze delicious, fresh okra from the garden with this easy step-by-step guide!
As the weather heats up so does the okra production. Orka is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and can be used in so many dishes–There is little reason not to put some away for those great recipes!
The okra I like best just happens to be a Clemson variety–It tends to be of the ridged variety rather than the smooth variety. The smooth varieties are said to cut easier with less slitting, but if I am using a sharp knife, I don’t have many pods splitting while they are being cross-cut.
Putting okra away is one of the easiest food preserving processes out there. Make sure you start with fresh okra that isn’t much longer than 4 to 6 inches in length. If you are picking from your garden, go ahead and pick all you have and sort them out as you prepare to wash them.
Under the right conditions, okra can still be tender after it has surpassed 6 or 8 inches, so just make sure to keep okra of that size together.
Materials needed to freeze okra:
- Fresh okra
- Sharp knife
- Freezer bags
- Parchment or wax paper
- Sharp knife
- Cookie sheets
- Corn meal and seasoning (if you want some for frying)
How do I freeze fresh okra?
Let’s go through these few steps, and you’ll be finished shortly.
Wash, Sort, & Blanch Okra
- Start with fresh okra
- Wash and sort the pods into two groups: Four inches or less and greater than four inches.
- Trim the stems down but be careful to not cut into the seed pod.
- Blanch the group of four inches and less for three minutes and the larger pods for four minutes.
- Place the pods into an ice bath immediately after blanching and leave them in the bath for the same amount of time they were blanched.
- Drain the pods after taking them from the ice bath.
Cut & Freeze Okra
- For okra that you do not plan to fry, freeze these (preferably not touching) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.
- If you will want breaded okra to fry, cross-cut the okra into ½ inch pieces and bread them with cornmeal and your go-to seasoning for breaded okra.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper and spread the breaded pieces across the cookie sheet, not allowing them to touch.
- Place the cookie sheets in the freezer until the pieces have frozen (about 2 hours).
- Remove the pods from the cookie sheets and into freezer bags. Be sure to remove any air from the bags before placing them into the freezer.
Easy Okra Recipes
Okra is an easy keeper; it’s easy to grow, easy to cook, and easy to freeze. Being able to prepare any okra dish at any time is a great reason to include okra in your list of things to keep in the freezer!
Whether you’re cooking Veggie Fritters in the warm months or warming your hands with a bowl of Creamy Pesto Veggie and Orzo Soup, you’ll be glad you’ve got your okra stored safely in the freezer!
If you’re looking to improve your garden for more great veggies like okra, check out these other gardening posts!
- DIY Raised Garden Bed — Enjoy fewer weeds and better drainage!
- How to Terminate a Cover Crop — Create a “green manure” to improve your garden soil!
- Planting Fall Garlic with a Custom Dibbler — Make an easy DIY dibbler to make your garlic planting a breeze!