Dehydrating Okra (with an Okra Snack Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How do you dehydrate okra for okra chips? ›

Arrange okra in single layers on drying trays. Dry at 140 degrees F (60°C) in an oven or dehydrator. If necessary, turn large pieces over every 3 to 4 hours during the drying period. Vegetables can scorch easily toward the end of drying, so monitor more closely as drying nears completion.

Okra is a good source of magnesium, folate, and vitamins B6, C, and K. It's also rich in antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and isoquercitrin, which may provide anti-fatigue, cholesterol-lowering, antitumor, and slowed muscle loss benefits.

Okra is a versatile vegetable, and dried okra is just as versatile, if not more so. You can season the dehydrated food, eat it as a snack, or use it as a crunchy topping for a cheesy baked pasta or other dish.

Okra chips are a dehydrated version of Okra. While this drying process reduces the effects of some nutrients — like vitamin C — most are retained and concentrated.

(And drying really reduces that gooey slime.) Wash, trim, and slice okra crosswise into 1/8- to ¼- inch disks. No blanching is required, just place in a single layer on dehydrator trays or cookie sheets and dry for 8-10 hours in a dehydrator, up to twice as long in an oven.

Pro tip: add a little baking soda to your okra if you want it to “draw” more.

Produce Snacks Crunchy Dried Okra (9 pods) contains 22g total carbs, 16g net carbs, 4g fat, 2g protein, and 130 calories.

Lowers blood pressure: Potassium aids in sodium balance and thus maintains proper fluid balance in the body. Okra also relieves pressure on the cardiovascular system by relaxing the blood vessels and arteries.

The bottom line

Okra is a nutritious food with many health benefits. It's rich in magnesium, folate, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C, K1, and A. Okra may benefit pregnant women, heart health, and blood sugar control. It may even have anticancer properties.

Gastrointestinal problems: Okra contains fructans, which is a type of carbohydrate. Fructans can cause diarrhea, gas, cramping, and bloating in people with existing bowel problems. Kidney stones: Okra is high in oxalates. The most common type of kidney stone consists of calcium oxalate.

Can dehydrated okra be rehydrated? ›

To Re-hydrate for Cooking: Either add directly to a pot of soup that will simmer for at least 6-8 hours or cover with boiling water and allow to re-hydrate for about 20-30 minutes before draining and adding directly to whatever dish you are cooking.

Scrub okra, rinse with cold water and pat dry with a towel. Halve okra lengthwise, cut into disks or leave whole and place okra in a large bowl. Add salt and cayenne pepper and toss to coat. Dry until crisp and breakable (about 12-18 hours, depending on dehydrator and okra size).

Digestive system: Okra is very good for the digestive system, can help improve the function of the digestive system. In fact, the sticky mucilage in okra is made up of polysaccharides such as collagen and mucopolysaccharides that improve the feeding of beneficial microorganisms in the gut.

Rich in Antioxidants: Antioxidants are the compounds which can slow down the ageing process in our bodies. Okra has a reserve of antioxidants called polyphenols which play a major role in brain activity and improves memory. Vacuum fried Okra has a large amount of its polyphenols preserved in it.

If you plan to fry okra later, after blanching, slice pods crosswise and dredge with cornmeal or flour. Freeze slices on a parchment-lined tray before placing into freezer bags. Frozen blanched okra works well in gumbo, boiled, stewed, smothered, or fried.

Drying okra pods is quite simple, no matter the route you take. They can be left to dry on the plant, or dried in an oven, an air fryer, a dehydrator or hung in the sun.

According to the results, it can be stated that drying characteristics of okra slices in the drying process at a temperature range 40-90°C, air relative humidity 20- 60% and air velocity of 1.0 m/s the effect of air temperature on drying rate and drying time, For higher values of the moisture content, increasing drying ...