If you love the taste of ocher, wait for the season to pick it up and then set aside some fresh pods to freeze. When you crave this summer vegetable on dark winter days, you will be happy to have been foresight. Just remember to use the correct technique to freeze: first blanch, then cut the vegetables and quickly reduce the temperature before storing them. Otherwise you will end up with soggy ocher when it is time to thaw it. Read on to learn the exact procedure.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare and Blanch the Okra
Step 1. Get some fresh ocher
Don't try to freeze vegetables that are unripe or overripe, or you will have a nasty surprise when you try to eat them in the future after defrosting them. Choose brightly colored pods, with a beautiful shape, without dark or soft spots.
- If possible, collect fresh ocher. This way you can freeze it before it starts to degrade and it will still be great when you thaw it.
- If you don't grow it in your garden or can't get it from a farmer, try to buy it at farmer's markets or in a shop that does frequent supplies. Avoid ocher that has been on the supermarket shelves for days.
Step 2. Wash it
Eliminate any residue of earth by rinsing it under cold running water. Handle it carefully and gently scrub any dirty area. It is a fragile vegetable, which can be easily dented if treated hard.
Step 3. Cut the stems
Use a sharp knife to remove the tip of the ocher. Do not remove the entire cap covering the pod. If you expose the seeds to the air, you accelerate the degradation process of the vegetable when you try to blanch it.
Step 4. Prepare a pot of boiling water
Pour the water into a large pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. You will use it to blanch the ocher.
Step 5. Prepare the ice water
Fill a bowl with water and ice. You will need to add the ocher as soon as it is blanched to stop cooking.
Step 6. Blanch the ocher for 3-4 minutes
Put it in boiling water, if the pieces of vegetables are large they must be "cooked" for 4 minutes. Stop for 3 minutes if the ocher is in small pieces. After this time, remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon.
- If you have a mix of large and small ocher, divide it before blanching. Boil the small pieces for 3 minutes and the larger ones for 4. This will ensure the freshness of both.
- This process kills the enzymes that cause the vegetables to continue ripening until they rot, as well as maintaining the color, flavor and texture of the ocher. If you don't blanch it, you will end up with a soft, tasteless mass when you thaw it.
Step 7. Place the vegetables in ice water for 3-4 minutes
As a general rule, you should chill it for as long as it is cooking. So if you've blanched the small pieces for 3 minutes, leave them in ice water for 3 minutes. If you've boiled them for 4 minutes, chill them for 4.
Step 8. Drain it
Place it on the cutting board or tray and let it dry before proceeding to the next steps.
Part 2 of 3: Freezing the Okra for Stews and Timbales
Step 1. Cut the ocher
Consider in advance how you will want to consume it when it is defrosted. If you plan to add it to stews, cut the pieces horizontally to make bites. If you plan to serve it as a side dish or stuff it, cut it vertically to create strips. Leave the seeds intact.
If you want to prepare fried ocher, it is best to bread it before freezing it. Follow the instructions in the next section
Step 2. Place the vegetables on a baking sheet
Arrange it in a single layer and make sure that the various pieces do not come into contact with each other.
Step 3. Turn down the temperature
Put the pan in the freezer for about 1 hour or until the various pieces become hard and a little icy. Do not leave the ocher in the freezer without covering it for a longer time, otherwise the ice will ruin its consistency.
Step 4. Put it in the bags
Fill each bag leaving 2.5 cm of free space at the edge. Close the bags but leave enough space to put a straw in. It sucks in the air present in the bag to create a sort of vacuum. Remove the straw and seal the bag.
- Removing the air prevents the ocher from degrading quickly.
- If you have a vacuum sealer, use it.
- Remember to label the bag with the contents and the date.
Step 5. Use frozen ocher
It can be added to stews, soups and timbales without defrosting it first. In fact, it is best to cook it immediately without defrosting it. The more this vegetable is handled, the more likely it is to become soggy.
Part 3 of 3: Freezing the Okra to Fry it
Step 1. Cut the vegetables
Use a sharp knife to cut it into evenly sized pieces.
Step 2. Cover it with breading
It is usually sprinkled with yellow flour or with a mix of white and yellow flour. You can also flavor the flours with a pinch of salt and pepper. Whatever mixture you decide to use, sprinkle the ocher with a thin layer and shake each piece of vegetables to remove excess breading.
Do not use the batter at this stage, as it will not store well over time
Step 3. Turn down the temperature
Put the ocher on a baking sheet distributing it in a single layer. Leave the pan in the freezer for an hour; when you remove it, the ocher must be hard enough to retain its shape.
Step 4. Divide the vegetables into freezer bags
Fill each bag leaving 2.5 cm gaps at the edge. Close the bag but leave a small slit to put a straw in. Suck up the excess air, finish sealing the bag and put in the freezer.
Step 5. Fry the ocher
When you are ready to cook it, heat some vegetable (peanut) oil in a large pot. Let the oil get hot to the right point and check the temperature by throwing a pinch of flour into it: if it fry, the oil is ready. Pour the frozen ocher into boiling oil and cook until crisp and golden. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the table.
Advice
- Instead of blanching it, you can fry it. To do this, add two tablespoons of oil per 500g of ocher to a deep pan. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Remove it from the heat and wait for it to cool. Finally, transfer it to freezer bags and, after expelling the excess air, freeze it.
- Only tender and young ocher should be frozen; the older one does not taste very good, and will certainly not improve with freezing.
- Frozen ocher can be kept for one year.
- Remember to label the bag with the contents and the date.
