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Pickled okra is included in many salads and is also used as a savory snack. Some people are hearing about this unfamiliar vegetable for the first time. Okra (second name) is often used in vegetarian cuisine in the southern regions of the country, where it grows. When fresh, okra spoils quickly. But there is an ideal solution: when the product is purchased, preserve all the beneficial properties and add spice through preservation.
Benefits of Pickled Okra
The popularity of “lady fingers” was brought by its composition and taste, reminiscent of something between asparagus and eggplant. In addition to being rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals, canned okra contains folic acid, which is necessary for pregnant women and to stimulate regenerative processes.
Useful properties of okra marinated in different ways:
- Included in the diet menu due to its low calorie content. 100 g of product contains only 30 kcal.
- Removes toxins and excess cholesterol from the body, has a choleretic effect.
- Regular use of pickled okra will help develop joints and strengthen blood vessels.
- Strengthens the nervous system.
- In America, okra occupies a leading place among the means to combat cancer.The product contains a high content of glutathione, which fights free radicals and suppresses the effect of carcinogens on cell DNA.
Of course, this is not the whole characteristic of pickled healthy okra, which has practically no special contraindications, except for allergic rashes and individual intolerance.
Cooking features
You will need to select the okra first. For pickling, chefs recommend young, or even unripe, fruits, no smaller than 5 cm and no larger than 10 cm in size. The fact is that the “old” fruit does not have a pronounced taste and is quite hard.
Before preparing delicious pickled okra, rinse the pods well under the tap and remove small hairs from the surface. The cooking process is short-lived because the okra may simply fall apart. The pods must be processed within 24 hours.
The following varieties of okra are more suitable for canning:
- Sultaniye;
- Tsarigradskaya;
- Kavakliyskaya.
The experiment may not be successful if all the rules have not been followed.
The marinated product can be served as a snack, in salads or as a side dish for meat dishes.
Ingredients
The recipe chosen is the simplest and will not take much time.
For marinating you will need the following products:
- okra – 1 kg;
- garlic – 10 cloves;
- vinegar (essence) – 4 tsp;
- water – 2 tbsp.;
- dill – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt (preferably sea) – 4 tbsp. l.;
- chili pepper – 2 pods;
- black peppercorns – 2 tsp;
- cloves – 10 pcs.
You can “play” with the ingredients if you are unsatisfied after trial canning.For example, during marinating, add or reduce the amount of pepper. Use table vinegar or white wine instead of essence, the main thing is that there is enough of it. It is this that will add crunch to the finished product.
There are also options when people don't like too spicy dishes. Then you can take only one pod of hot pepper or replace it with mustard seeds. Add a preservative in the form of granulated sugar. Some people simply prefer to buy packaged pickling seasoning mixtures.
Pickled Okra Recipe
The step-by-step photos included in the cooking instructions will help you properly preserve okra:
- For okra marinated by any method, rinse the jars thoroughly under the tap with a soapy soda solution. Be sure to sterilize each one over steam for at least 10 minutes and set it aside, covering the neck with a kitchen towel to prevent dirt from getting in.
- Wash the okra thoroughly and trim the tail, but not to the seeds. Sprinkle with citric acid and rub. Leave for a couple of hours until it loses its slippery coating. This will make the color lighter. Rinse again, wipe and place in prepared glass containers. Peel the garlic and distribute into jars. If it is very large, cut it.
- Remove the stem and seeds from the hot pepper. Rinse under the tap and chop. Place along with dill, black peppercorns, salt and cloves in a saucepan on the fire, adding water. As soon as the composition boils, turn off and add vinegar essence. Mix.
- Pour the hot marinade evenly into the jars, making sure the spices get into each jar. The liquid should completely cover the okra.
- Leave for an hour to let the mixture sit without lids. You can cover it with napkins.When the temperature reaches room temperature, screw on the lids. First transfer to a cool place and then put in the refrigerator.
The taste of canned okra develops over time. Therefore, it is not recommended to use it immediately. It is better to let the jars brew for about a month.
Terms and conditions of storage
The shelf life of pickled okra and conditions depend on the ingredients in the composition and the method of canning.
Here are some of them:
- When using the classic method of preparing pickled okra with a sufficient amount of preservatives and tightly screwed with tin lids, the jars can stand from 0 to 25 degrees in a dark place for almost 3 years, if there are no large temperature changes.
- Place pickled okra in the refrigerator when using additional vegetables. These can often be: carrots, tomatoes, eggplants and sweet peppers. This is especially true if a nylon lid is used, which allows oxygen and microbes to pass through. Then the storage conditions will change. The jars will need to be placed in the refrigerator or cellar, where temperatures are kept low.
- An opened jar of pickled okra should stand in a cold place for no more than 3 days.
If dirt initially got into the container with pickled okra, and the quality of the preservative and products left much to be desired, the jars may become cloudy. Consuming them is dangerous to health.
Conclusion
Pickled okra is practically the only way, other than freezing, that allows you to preserve a healthy product throughout the cold season. It’s worth stocking up for future use to prepare delicious dishes in winter.
