How to Can Okra in Water?

To can okra using water, you will cover the prepared okra in your jars with fresh boiling water before processing.

Canning okra in water involves using hot water as the liquid medium within the canning jars. This process is part of ensuring the okra is properly prepared inside the jar before it undergoes the necessary heat processing (typically pressure canning for a non-acid food like okra).

Here are the steps related to using water when canning okra, based on standard guidelines:

Preparing Jars with Water

1. Pack the Jars: Fill prepared canning jars with hot, blanched okra.
2. Maintain Headspace: Leave 1-inch headspace at the top of the jar. Headspace is the empty space between the top of the food/liquid and the rim of the jar.
3. Add Optional Salt: If you prefer, add 1⁄2 teaspoon of canning salt to pint-sized jars or 1 teaspoon of canning salt to quart-sized jars. Salt is optional and added for flavor, not for preservation in this process.
4. Add Boiling Water: Cover the okra in the jars with fresh boiling water, ensuring the water reaches the level of the okra but still leaving 1-inch headspace at the top of the jar.
5. Remove Air Bubbles: Use a non-metallic tool (like a plastic spatula or debubbler) to remove any trapped air bubbles from the jar by running it gently around the inside edge between the food and the jar.
6. Wipe Jar Rims: Clean the rim of each jar with a clean, damp paper towel to ensure a good seal is formed when the lid is applied.

After these steps, the jars are typically fitted with lids and rings and then processed according to a tested recipe, usually in a pressure canner due to okra's low acidity.

Using boiling water to cover the okra helps in removing air and creating the proper environment inside the jar before processing, contributing to safe preservation.