Tips for Vegetable Usage, Storage and Preservation

Definitions

• Blanching (1): The process of boiling or steaming vegetables for a short time and then immediate cooling them in ice water. This inactivates enzymes that cause loss of flavor, color, and texture. For Green Beans, blanch for 3 minutes then immediately cool. Afterwards drain, package, and freeze. (See Reference 1 for guide on blanching vegetables)
• Drying (2): One of the oldest methods of preserving food for later use. Dried vegetables can be prepared separately or combined to make a soup. While camp is being set up, add water to the dried foods to allow sufficient time (1 to 2 hours) to reconstitute them. To retain vitamins, use the soaking water for cooking.
• Fermenting (3): Fermentation is a process that involves the transformation of raw ingredients into a wide array of flavorful, preserved, and often nutritionally enhanced products.
• Pickling (4): The method of using a blend of spices, sugar, salt, and vinegar with fruits and vegetables to preserve flavor and texture.

 

Preservation Methods

Short-term (3-10 Days): 

• Refrigerator (5)

• DO NOT wash them until ready to eat or cook
• DO NOT cut or trim edges until ready to eat or cook
• Lay them directly on a paper towel-lined tray or place them upright in a deli container

Medium-term (2 weeks-2 months): 

•  Fermenting (3,6)

• Mix a brine ratio of 1 tablespoon of kosher or pickling salt to 2 cups water and gather herbs and desired aromatics (dill, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, etc.)
• Place green beans upright and herbs/ aromatics into a jar
• Fill jar with brine until beans are covered
• Cover the jar with a  clean cloth (towel, rag, etc.) and secure with a rubber band
• Place covered jar in a dark place in the kitchen
• Ferment for 1-2 weeks checking every 1-2 days to make sure no mold has grown
• Note: If “white mold” grows on top, that is Kahm Yeast and is safe; simply remove top layer and enjoy
• Taste after a week; if too crunchy keep fermenting for an extra week until to desired texture
• Once beans are fully fermented, close with lid and store in refrigerator to prevent further fermentation
• Will last up to 2 weeks

• Pickling (4,7)

• Boil a pickling liquid at a ratio of 2 cups white vinegar, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• Trim the stem ends of the beans
• Place beans in jar and pack with desired herbs and aromatics (dill, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, hot peppers, etc.)
• Pour boiling pickling liquid into jar until it covers the beans leaving a 1/2in headspace and let cool on the counter
• Once cooled, place in fridge and let sit for at least 24 hours; leave for 2-3 days for brinier taste
• Will last for up to 2 months

Long-term (6-12 Months): 

• Freezing (5,7,8)

• Wash and trim green beans
• Blanch for 3 minutes and then immediately place in ice bath
• Strain and dry beans
• Place in package and store in freezer

• Drying/dehydrating (1, 2, 10)

• Preheat oven or dehydrator to 125F (If oven doesn’t go that low, go as low as possible)
• Blanch for 3 minutes and then immediately place in ice bath
• Strain and pat dry. Get them as dry as possible
• Lay flat in a single layer on a tray or cookie sheet and let sit for about 6-8 hours
• Store in a clean airtight container
• Note: to rehydrate, soak them in hot water for 1 hour or cold water for 2 hours

 

References:

1. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/freeze-general-information/blanching-vegetables/ 
2. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry
3. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/ferment 
4. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle
5. https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-store-green-beans-7560685#toc-how-to-store-green-beans-so-theyll-last-longest-step-by-step
6. https://www.growforagecookferment.com/lacto-fermented-dilly-beans/ 
7. https://immigrantstable.com/quick-pickled-green-beans/ 
8. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-beans-green-snap-or-wax/
9. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/freeze-general-information/blanching-vegetables/
10. https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/how-to-dehydrate-green-beans/

 

Okra isn’t Slimy if Cooked Whole
    ~. B. Finkelman (CSA Member)

     Most folks know okra from gumbo. There are loads of gumbo recipes online, and they all have you cut the okra before adding it to the gumbo, which releases what we call “slime” (technical name mucilage). It is a natural thickener, which is desirable for gumbo. But okra doesn’t have to be slimy. The trick is to cook it whole. 

     Many people who have eaten at our house, professed, “I do not like okra because it is slimy.” After eating okra they changed their minds. Some of the ways I use it are: in Chinese soup, added to Greek Lemon soup, sauteed with onions, garlic, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini and any other veggie I have on hand worth sautéing, or grilled.

I also sauté okra with mushrooms in tomato sauce.

     When I sauté, I add the okra toward the end of cooking (depending on size of the okra they take 15-30 minutes to cook), and I usually add ½ cup or so of liquid to create some steam. The okra will fall apart after prolonged cooking (think warmed up leftovers), but they will not create slime. 

      Health benefits of okra. “Key Takeaways” below from Healthline https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/okra-health-benefits 

• Okra is rich in vitamins C and K1, magnesium, folate, fiber, and antioxidants like polyphenols. It’s also low in calories and contains more protein than many other fruits and vegetables. [not a complete protein]
• Okra may help lower heart disease risk by binding to cholesterol during digestion and may support healthy blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
• Folate in okra supports a healthy pregnancy by helping lower the risk of brain and spine conditions in a developing fetus. One cup provides 15% of the daily value (DV) for folate.

 

For trimming, I only trim the bottom end if it has turned black. If it is still green, there is no need to trim. Trim judiciously so you do not cut into the okra pod.