Post by Trade facilitator on Jun 9, 2022 13:55:51 GMT 1
Okra from Nigeria is a hot cake in the international market especially in European countries.
As at the time of writing this article, our company has an existing contract for Okra export to Rome and Holland in the EU.
If you are interested in the export or you are an existing Okra exporter please contact the admin of this forum immediately for your contract.
However, this article is about how to preserve your Okra for export to foreign countries especially in the EU.
In our past articles on how to export to the EU, we have been intimating you on the conditions that must be met for you to be able to export to the EU.
You should know that fresh Okra is a perishable crop, it is a vegetable and special care has to be taken in order to make it exportable to foreign countries.
Even locally a lot of people are interested in preserving their Okra so that they can eat it long into the year after the season has ended.
Therefore it is interesting and important that you should take adequate notice of all that we are going to reveal to you in this article and subsequent ones.
It is important to note that you can only use the method of preservation/processing stated by the buyer in the contract.
There are basically four (4) ways that you can use in preserving your Okra for export or for local consumption; and they are by Freezing, Canning, Fermenting and Dehydrating.
We are now going to take them one by one.
Freezing Okra:
Freezing okra is one of the easiest ways to preserve it, and it can be done in two ways: breaded and plain methods.
Breaded Okra is mainly used for frying while the plain Okra is used for stews, but it depends on choice.
It is important to note that okra water can be used for the management of dry cough. However, you will need to consult your physician before taking it.
How to freeze Okra:
To freeze okra, first wash and dry it. Then cut the Okra into thick slices.
For plain Okra, lay the cut Okra on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer.
For breaded Okra, dip the cut okra in milk, (or milk and egg mixture) and then coat the cut okra in a cornmeal/ flour mixture.
However, if you do not have a good breeding recipe, once the cut okra is breaded, lay it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze it.
When the Okra is frozen, put the okra in the Ziploc bag and put it back into the freezer.
Freezing the Okra first on a baking sheet will keep the Okra from clumping together in the bag.
Canning Okra:
There are two ways of canning Okra. If you don't want to use vinegar and pickle the Okra, you have to use a pressure canner. If you want pickled Okra, you can process them in the water bath just like you do cucumber pickles.
Pickled Okra is crunchy, not slimy! Lightly spicy pickled okra, with cider vinegar, lemon, garlic, and spices are delightful to consume.
Prepare for canning by sterilizing jars and lids.
Boil vinegar, water, salt, and sugar.
Prep okra.
Place all pickling spices in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Put lemon slices, spices, and garlic in hot jars.
Pack okra in the jars.
Pour vinegar mixture over the okra.
Wipe rims, screw lids on jars.
Fermenting Okra:
Fermented Okra is very similar to pickled Okra but instead of water bath canning it and it being shelf-stable, fermented okra is preserved in the salt brine and will need to be stored in the refrigerator after the fermentation is done.
One great thing about fermenting Okra instead of canning in vinegar is that nutrients are added in the fermentation process. That alone makes it worth it to try and use fermentation instead of canning.
Dehydrating Okra:
To dehydrate Okra, fill a stockpot about half full of water and bring to boil. While the water is heating up, wash the Okra and prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Once the water is boiling add a few handfuls of okra and bring back to boil. After a few minutes, remove the Okra from the boiling water and put into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Once the okra cools, remove them from the ice water and lay out on a dry towel to dry. You can slice okra in rounds or in strips and lay them on the dehydrator trays.
Dehydrate the okra at 135 Fahrenheit until brittle about 8 to 10 hours.
You can also export your Okra fresh, but you need temperature controlled facilities. You can use a temperature controlled vehicle to take it to the export terminal and hand it over to the officials. Be sure that the exporting aircraft is equipped with temperature control so that your Okra will still be fresh on getting to its destination.
Our company is one of the best Agro-Export Business in Nigeria today. We train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
As at the time of writing this article, our company has an existing contract for Okra export to Rome and Holland in the EU.
If you are interested in the export or you are an existing Okra exporter please contact the admin of this forum immediately for your contract.
However, this article is about how to preserve your Okra for export to foreign countries especially in the EU.
In our past articles on how to export to the EU, we have been intimating you on the conditions that must be met for you to be able to export to the EU.
You should know that fresh Okra is a perishable crop, it is a vegetable and special care has to be taken in order to make it exportable to foreign countries.
Even locally a lot of people are interested in preserving their Okra so that they can eat it long into the year after the season has ended.
Therefore it is interesting and important that you should take adequate notice of all that we are going to reveal to you in this article and subsequent ones.
It is important to note that you can only use the method of preservation/processing stated by the buyer in the contract.
There are basically four (4) ways that you can use in preserving your Okra for export or for local consumption; and they are by Freezing, Canning, Fermenting and Dehydrating.
We are now going to take them one by one.
Freezing Okra:
Freezing okra is one of the easiest ways to preserve it, and it can be done in two ways: breaded and plain methods.
Breaded Okra is mainly used for frying while the plain Okra is used for stews, but it depends on choice.
It is important to note that okra water can be used for the management of dry cough. However, you will need to consult your physician before taking it.
How to freeze Okra:
To freeze okra, first wash and dry it. Then cut the Okra into thick slices.
For plain Okra, lay the cut Okra on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer.
For breaded Okra, dip the cut okra in milk, (or milk and egg mixture) and then coat the cut okra in a cornmeal/ flour mixture.
However, if you do not have a good breeding recipe, once the cut okra is breaded, lay it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze it.
When the Okra is frozen, put the okra in the Ziploc bag and put it back into the freezer.
Freezing the Okra first on a baking sheet will keep the Okra from clumping together in the bag.
Canning Okra:
There are two ways of canning Okra. If you don't want to use vinegar and pickle the Okra, you have to use a pressure canner. If you want pickled Okra, you can process them in the water bath just like you do cucumber pickles.
Pickled Okra is crunchy, not slimy! Lightly spicy pickled okra, with cider vinegar, lemon, garlic, and spices are delightful to consume.
Prepare for canning by sterilizing jars and lids.
Boil vinegar, water, salt, and sugar.
Prep okra.
Place all pickling spices in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Put lemon slices, spices, and garlic in hot jars.
Pack okra in the jars.
Pour vinegar mixture over the okra.
Wipe rims, screw lids on jars.
Fermenting Okra:
Fermented Okra is very similar to pickled Okra but instead of water bath canning it and it being shelf-stable, fermented okra is preserved in the salt brine and will need to be stored in the refrigerator after the fermentation is done.
One great thing about fermenting Okra instead of canning in vinegar is that nutrients are added in the fermentation process. That alone makes it worth it to try and use fermentation instead of canning.
Dehydrating Okra:
To dehydrate Okra, fill a stockpot about half full of water and bring to boil. While the water is heating up, wash the Okra and prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Once the water is boiling add a few handfuls of okra and bring back to boil. After a few minutes, remove the Okra from the boiling water and put into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Once the okra cools, remove them from the ice water and lay out on a dry towel to dry. You can slice okra in rounds or in strips and lay them on the dehydrator trays.
Dehydrate the okra at 135 Fahrenheit until brittle about 8 to 10 hours.
You can also export your Okra fresh, but you need temperature controlled facilities. You can use a temperature controlled vehicle to take it to the export terminal and hand it over to the officials. Be sure that the exporting aircraft is equipped with temperature control so that your Okra will still be fresh on getting to its destination.
Our company is one of the best Agro-Export Business in Nigeria today. We train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
