Marvelous Mucilage Okra for All Seasons
Canned food is often seen as the epitome of our industrial food system, so canned okra may be the lowest of the low. This is unfortunate, because a can of locally grown organic okra in December is vastly preferable to fresh okra trucked or flown in from Honduras. Nothing stops us from canning our own food. As long as we follow well-established food safety guidelines, canning is a safe method of food preservation.
Canning Alkaline Vegetables
The two methods of home canning are water bath and pressure canning, and the acidity of the food being preserved determines the method to use. Water bath canning only heats the insides of the jars to the temperature of boiling water, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which isn’t enough to ensure the death of botulism-causing bacteria. Botulism doesn’t form in acidic environments, so water bath canning is only advised for high-acid foods.
A pressure canner is the tool you’ll need to can alkaline foods, such as okra. The pressure canner has a tightly sealed lid to trap steam from the boiling water, which increases the pressure, which increases the boiling point of the water. The food in
