A question about pickling okra
July 26, 2017 6:51 AM Subscribe
I have 72 ounces of okra with the stems ends entirely removed. All the photos of pickled okra that I can find just have the stem removed. What will this do to the okra when it's pickled and water bath canned? I don't want to can 12 jars of this stuff if it's going to be slimy. I know that pickling mitigates the slime, but of course, these okra are overtrimmed.
The person who wants this pile of okra pickled very helpfully did the first step of 'remove the stems last night, so the clock is ticking on okra prep as it is.
I could just pickled it, put it up, and be done, but I will worry for the week or two until it's ready to taste, and even then, I don't care for okra so I won't be able to tell if it's actually good or not.
Should I bother, or should I freeze this stuff for...soup?
The person who wants this pile of okra pickled very helpfully did the first step of 'remove the stems last night, so the clock is ticking on okra prep as it is.
I could just pickled it, put it up, and be done, but I will worry for the week or two until it's ready to taste, and even then, I don't care for okra so I won't be able to tell if it's actually good or not.
Should I bother, or should I freeze this stuff for...soup?
Best answer: It will be fine, and if the cap remover is also the main eater, they may prefer it that way. The cap is often the toughest part, so they will if anything be more tender.
Increased brine access means they may be done pickling a tad sooner. Also maybe take a little effort when packing the jars to keep them right side up to reduce seed spillage.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:08 AM on July 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
Increased brine access means they may be done pickling a tad sooner. Also maybe take a little effort when packing the jars to keep them right side up to reduce seed spillage.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:08 AM on July 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
Best answer: They'll make fine pickles. Go forth and pickle, says this experienced pickler.
(Pickled okra is less slimy than cooked okra. Yes it is.)
posted by desuetude at 7:42 AM on July 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
(Pickled okra is less slimy than cooked okra. Yes it is.)
posted by desuetude at 7:42 AM on July 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Pickled okra is definitely slimy in my extensive experience or pickling okra and eating okra pickled by other. I haven't ever had a commercially pickled product, so maybe there is an industrial method that removes the slime. If anything, pickled okra is actually slimier than okra cooked by other methods because there isn't anything to dilute the slime. (As an aside, slightly charring okra in a dry pan is the least slime producing method of cooking that I've discovered. And it's delicious!) You could hedge your bets and pickle half and freeze the other half.
posted by defreckled at 8:07 AM on July 26, 2017
posted by defreckled at 8:07 AM on July 26, 2017
Response by poster: Thank you all for the reassurance!
The freezer is tiny, so pickling is the way to go. (For those who care, I'm also making pickled beets, pint jars of jalapeño jelly, rhubarb ginger jam, and tiny batch of fennel confit.)
posted by bilabial at 8:11 AM on July 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
The freezer is tiny, so pickling is the way to go. (For those who care, I'm also making pickled beets, pint jars of jalapeño jelly, rhubarb ginger jam, and tiny batch of fennel confit.)
posted by bilabial at 8:11 AM on July 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm going to be the voice of dissent here and predict prodigious slime. I love okra -- it's my favorite vegetable -- so I'm not trying to disparage it. But, anytime the inside of an okra pod meets liquid, even an acidic liquid, you're going to get a helluva lot more slime that you would get if the pods were in tact.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:42 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mudpuppie at 10:42 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
I would freeze it and make fried okra rolled in corn meal. No slime delicious.
posted by effluvia at 11:10 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by effluvia at 11:10 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
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posted by CheeseLouise at 7:04 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]