Okra, okra, and more okra

Today I am going to share some recipes for using some of the extra okra. I hope that you find something that you enjoy. Take care and I’ll be seeing you around…Agnes 

Fried Okra:

Wash okra (fresh or frozen) and slice. The amount depends on how many you are feeding and if you can keep them out of the kitchen while you are cooking. When you get through slicing make sure that the okra is good and damp so that the meal mixture will stick to it. The goal is to have the okra damp but not dripping wet. Sprinkle generously with salt and toss. Sprinkle with enough self-rising corn meal to coat and dry okra. Have vegetable oil hot enough to fry. Add enough okra to have one layer of slices covering the bottom of the pan. Fry until brown around the edges. Turn and complete cooking. Watch carefully so as not to burn. If oil appears to be getting too hot, reduce heat, and/or add ½ cup more oil. Remove okra and drain. Repeat until all is cooked.

Frozen Fried Okra:

If you have a lot of okra and prefer it fried, this is the best way to fry it. Prepare all okra as instructed above and fry in fish cooker. Drain and place on paper lined baking sheets and set okra in freezer. When frozen, remove from freezer and bag. Place back in freezer until needed. When ready to use, line a baking pan with two layers of paper towels, layer the frozen, cooked okra and heat in the oven at 325 degrees until thoroughly heated and crisp. This is the way I prefer to do fried okra. This way, you only mess up the kitchen once or twice.

Pickled Okra:

3½ Pounds small okra

3 cups Water

3 cups vinegar

1/3 cup canning salt

2 teaspoons dill seed

3 cloves garlic

2 small hot red peppers, cut in half

Trim stems of okra, being careful not to cut pods; set aside. Combine water, vinegar, salt, and dill seed in a pot and bring to a boil. Pack okra into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Put 1 garlic clove and ½ red pepper in each jar. Pour hot liquid in jars. Remove air bubbles and make sure that ¼ inch headspace is left. Seal. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Makes 4 pints.

Stewed Tomatoes and Okra Gumbo:

2 pounds okra cut in ½ inch pieces

1 quart of tomatoes

½ cup each of celery and onions (cook separately in microwave)

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon of flour

3 slices bacon, cut in small pieces and cooked. Remove bacon from pan, pour off the grease and set aside. In the pan, melt the butter, add flour and stir. Add salt, onions, celery, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes. Add okra, return to a boil, reduce heat and cook for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle bacon on top. Serve as a side dish, as a soup or over rice.

Boiled Okra:

Place Small pods of washed okra in a sauce pan with enough liquid (water or pot likker from peas, butter beans, or green beans) to barely cover. Bring to a boil, add seasoning, and reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until tender. Lift out of liquid with a slotted spoon and serve alongside other vegetables. I had a dear friend that has gone to glory that boiled her okra with her cabbage and chopped it up. You could not identify the okra in the dish. It is different but tasteful.

Okra Fritters:

1 cup plain flour

3 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup milk

In a bowl whisk dry ingredients to blend well. Beat eggs and milk together and whisk into the dry mixture to make a smooth batter. Stir in 5 cups thinly sliced okra. Spoon into deep, hot fat and fry. Drain and serve. You can also fry like little pan-cakes.

Okra and Bacon:

3 bacon slices, diced. Fry bacon and reserve the bacon fat.

4 cups sliced okra

1 cup sliced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup celery, minced

½ cup sliced green onion top

Salt and pepper to taste

Put 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet and heat. Add okra and cook until the roping has disappeared (5 to 10 minutes). Remove okra from the pan and set aside. Add 1 more tablespoon of the fat to the pan and add the onion, garlic, celery, and green onion tops. Sauté until the onion is limp. This should take 3 to 5 minutes. Return okra and bacon to skillet and reheat. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with a few cherry tomatoes that have been halved.

I have had several request for a simple cutting board conditioner…I came across this, tried it and like it. Some health food stores have the oils and beeswax…Agnes

Wooden Cutting Board Conditioner by Chris Dalziel

Wooden cutting boards are a better choice for food preparation than plastic, but only if you care for them properly. Instead of putting wooden cutting boards in the dishwasher, wash them with hot soapy water, dry them, and use this food-safe polish once a month to help them maintain their strength.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon beeswax

2 tablespoon jojoba oil

4 tablespoon coconut oil

1⁄4 teaspoon lemon essential oil

 Instructions: Add beeswax, jojoba oil, and coconut oil to the top of a double boiler, or place them in a bowl over a pot of boiling water. Melt ingredients together over medium heat. Remove from heat as soon as beeswax is fully melted. Stir together well. Add lemon essential oil. Stir well. Pour into a 4-ounce tin, or two 2-ounce jars. To use: apply a thin layer of polish to clean, dry cutting boards. Allow this to sit on the surface of the board for 1 hour. Wipe off with a dry, lint-free cloth. Apply once a month. Yield: One 4-ounce tin

Excerpted from The Beeswax WorkShop: How to make your own natural candles, cosmetics, cleaners, soaps, healing balms, and more by Chris Dalziel © Ulysses Press, 2016