If you are looking to throw together a gumbo or a Louisiana-style dish in a hurry, this home canned okra would be just the ticket.
It’s also great to add to Indian curry dishes, where okra is known as “bhindi.”
Can only young, tender pods. Old, stringy pods won’t improve.
Don’t can rusted pods; the quality won’t improve on them, either.
See also: Other okra recipes for canning.
Quantities of okra needed
Numbers are approximate guidelines.
On average, as a very rough guideline, expect to need:
About 600 g (1.3 lbs) per half-litre / pint jar
About 700 g to 900 g (1.5 to 2 lbs) per litre / quart jar
- 5 kg (11 lb) of okra = 7 litres (US quarts) canned okra
- 3.25 kg (7 lbs ) of okra = 9 x half-litres (US pints) canned okra
- 1 US bushel okra = 12 kg (26 lbs) = 16 to 18 litres (US quarts) canned okra
The recipe
Jar size choices: Either half-litre (1 US pint) OR 1 litre (1 US quart)
Processing method: Pressure canning only
Yield: varies
Headspace: 3 cm (1 inch)
Processing pressure: 10 lbs (69 kPa) weighted gauge, 11 lbs (76 kpa) dial gauge (adjust pressure for your altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet.)
Processing time: Half-litres (pints) 25 minutes; litres (quarts) 40 minutes.
Canning okra
How to safely home pressure can okra used tested USDA methods.
Instructions
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Wash okra pods.
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Trim the ends.
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You may leave the pods whole, or, slice them horizontally into 3 cm (1 inch) pieces.
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Put in a sauce pan, and pour very hot water over them so that the pot will boil quicker.
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When it comes to a boil, boil 2 minutes.
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Drain (but don't plunge into cold water - keep hot.)
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Pack hot okra into the jars you are using -- either half-litre (US pint) jars or 1 litre (US quart) jars.
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Leave 3 cm (1 inch) headspace.
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OPTIONAL: few pinches of salt or non-bitter, non-clouding salt-sub per jar.
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Fill jars with either the cooking liquid OR fresh boiling water (such as from a kettle, for instance), maintaining headspace.
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Debubble, adjust headspace.
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Wipe jar rims.
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Put lids on.
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Processing pressure: 10 lbs (69 kPa) weighted gauge, 11 lbs (76 kpa) dial gauge (adjust pressure for your altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet.)
-
Processing time: half-litre (US pint) jars for 25 minutes OR 1 litre (US quart) jars for 40 minutes.
Processing guidelines below are for weighted-gauge pressure canner. See also if applicable: Dial-gauge pressures.
| Jar Size | Time | 0 to 300 m (0 - 1000 feet) pressure | Above 300 m (1000 ft) pressure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-litre (1 US pint) | 25 mins | 10 lbs | 15 lb | |
| 1 litre (1 US quart) | 40 mins | 10 lbs | 15 lb |
Packing water for canning okra: fresh water or blanching liquid?
Opinions vary whether you should use the blanching water, or, fresh boiling water.
Opinion 1: Use cooking liquid
USDA Complete 2015 says to use the water you blanched them in : “Fill hot jars with hot okra and cooking liquid” (Page 4-14).
Opinion 2: Use fresh water
- Ball / Bernardin Complete (2015) doesn’t want you to use that water: “Drain, discarding cooking liquid… ladle in fresh boiling water to cover okra.” (Page 387.)
- So Easy to Preserve (2014) says use fresh water: “Boil 2 minutes and drain…. Fill jars to 1 inch from top with boiling water.” (Page 92)
Opinion 3: Use either
Ball Blue Book (2014) says you can use either: “Ladle hot cooking liquid or boiling water over okra (in jars).” (Page 114)
Our thoughts
Given how “gloopy” home-canned okra can get, anyway, we’d go with opinion 2, fresh water, to help reduce that.
Recipe notes
- Jars of home-canned okra will appear to go “cloudy” after a bit. Cloudy is normal for home-canned okra: it’s the mucilage in it interacting with the water in the jar. It becomes most apparent after a couple days.
- When you open a jar, the liquid in the jar will be “gloopy.” That’s the name of the game with okra. If you like to make weight watcher friendly soups, you could freeze that liquid in a tub. It’s a great way to thicken soups without adding points as you would using flour, etc.
Reference information
How to pressure can.
When pressure canning, you must adjust the pressure for your altitude.
More information about Salt-Free Canning in general.
Recipe source
Okra. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Complete guide to home canning. Agriculture information bulletin No. 539. 2015. Page 4-14.
Modifications: none.
Nutrition
Per 300 g, drained (1 cup. About half of a half-litre / US pint jar):
- 120 calories, 21 mg sodium
- Weight Watchers PointsPlus®: 0 points (Okra is free on Weight Watchers).
* Nutrition info provided by https://caloriecount.about.com
* PointsPlus™ calculated by healthycanning.com. Not endorsed by Weight Watchers® International, Inc, which is the owner of the PointsPlus® registered trademark.
Cooking with canning
Saag Paneer with chickpeas and okra
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