Home canning helps gardeners preserve their harvests for year-round use. Canning okra and other vegetables is an excellent way to maintain a sustainable homestead and save money on groceries each month. Learning how to can okra is simple and protects the flavor of your crops without the use of chemicals. With this helpful excerpt from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Complete Guide to Home Canning, you’ll learn the hot pack process for canning okra. Try this and our other canning resources to help you stock up after each harvest.
The following is an excerpt from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning covering how to can okra.
Okra
Quantity: An average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 7 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 26 pounds and yields 16 to 18 quarts — an average of 1-1/2 pounds per quart.
Quality: Select young, tender pods. Remove and discard diseased and rust-spotted pods.
Procedure: Wash pods and trim ends. Leave whole or cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover with hot water in a saucepan, boil 2 minutes and drain. Fill jars with hot okra and cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired.
Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in the Image Gallery.