Freeze Dried Okra

The okra was going to finish during the Monday night so I gave it more time before we went to bed. Yesterday morning when I woke up for the second time, the okra was finished so I put it in jars and vacuum sealed it.

From the four trays, I got 7 half pints and 5 pints. The salt ended up being the texture of of powdered sugar which was funny.

The okra is great for snacking. I love potato chips and sometimes, I feel like I need a potato chip and, as we all know, you can’t eat just one. That’s when freeze dried okra comes in handy for me. Pop open a jar, eat a few pods and I’m good. I’ve been buying freeze dried okra since most of the year, fresh okra isn’t very appealing. I’m going to run by Sliger’s Market and get more okra and try to get another couple of loads of okra done. I would love to have at least 40 half pints of okra on the shelf before it goes out of season.

We love okra cooked in field peas. Also at Sliger’s Market, which is as close to a farmer’s market as we’re going to get around here, they sell frozen field peas. They call them black eyed peas but they’re more like purple hull peas to me. When I smoke a brisket, I save some of it and freeze it in small portions and use those in my peas/beans as seasoning. Because I’m a little forgetful, I don’t want to let the water cook out of my peas and scorch them so I always add extra. Once the peas are done cooking, I’ll toss in a handful of freeze dried whole okra pods, turn the heat off, put the lid on. The okra will absorb the extra cooking liquid and within a few minutes, it’s ready to eat.