Freeze Dried Okra

I just got my order and it's wonderful. Five pounds is a lot of okra but if I keep grabbing handfuls as I pass by, I'll have to order another 5 pounds soon.

This stuff is the BEST! It's addicting too. I love it out of the bag as a snack. I don't add anything! And I use it in gumbo. How can it be out of stock??? AARGH!!!!

Freeze dried okra is a bit fragile so expect there to be lots of seeds from the Okra in the bottom of the bag. The Okra smells like fresh okra and moistens up and looks like good old slimy okra, just like it is supposed to be.
Only real complaint is the fact that even after hydrating and cooking there are piece with VERY hard fibrous strands. I have had this issues with FD Broccoli as well where the fibers from the stems remain hard and sharp if bitten into the wrong way.

As an aside, a 5lb Bulk box is a crap load of Okra! After opening I end up with a 6 gallon bucket full, around 10-12 #10 cans full to the brim along with several 1.5 quart mylar bags full. Needless to say I have given away a bunch of it!

Since there is no where else to get this from except North Bay I am still glad I purchased.

Now I can make gumbo all year long!

I just opened the bag and tasted one, and I couldn't stop. I am now looking up recipes to use okra in. But right out of the bag is GREAT

I love this stuff right out of the bag. My granddaughter loves everything we ordered from here right out of the bag including shallots and she is so picky but not when it comes to freeze dried fruits and vegetables. This okra is the best okra for gumbo. It isn't slimy and you can put it into the bowl of people who do like it without putting it in the whole pot.

I ate this okra straight out of the package and I will be ordering more. It tastes so good.

I enjoy a lot of your freeze dried vegetables. Making soup is so easy and the vegetables are great for casseroles.

I just finished telling friends and family about the amazing freeze dried okra I received. I was amazed that I could eat it right out of the bag and how crunchy it is. I can snack on this in place of crunchy junk food any day. Thanks guys.

Just this moment, I have a pot of gumbo simmering on the stove. Of course, it has this freeze dried okra in it. The okra is high quality and rehydrates during cooking with the same consistency as fresh. For a snack, we spray a light mist olive oil on the okra and toss them in a bit of ranch seasoning mixed with powdered cheese... it's a huge hit!

These are so easy to eat, I ate the whole bag before even trying to see how they rehydrate. I'll be ordering more.

My husband hates okra -- has all his life. Until now! I used these to make an easy chicken and okra curry and my husband pronounced the dish fantastic! These held their shape and tasted wonderful -- all the okra flavor without any slime. Of course, that could be due to the tomato in the curry, but still. Wonderful, wonderful! I can now add okra to our list of veggies we'll regularly eat. And no cleaning or cutting, and no waste. Perfect!

I bought a sample pack (3 cup) size to try this out. My husband Mel loved it out of the bag, so much so that it was nearly all was gone within three days! He had eaten two cups before I even got to try it in a recipe! :) I managed to grab the last cup to make a slow cooker curry. Here's the recipe:

1 lb cubed chicken breast or pork loin
1 tsp to 1 tbsp each of Pensey's Sweet Curry, Maharaja Curry, and Granulated Garlic.
1 jar Patak's chicken tikka sauce (or jarred curry type sauce of your choice)
1/2 to 1 cup NorthBay Freeze Dried Okra
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, cut in wedges
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans (or any other bean of choice)
3 cloves of garlic, sliced

Dry the cubed pork with a paper towel so it will brown nicely. Mix together the Pensey's Sweet Curry, Maharaja Curry, and Granulated Garlic together, and toss with the pork cubes until the cubes are evenly coated in spice. In a skillet, brown the cubes evenly, and put into slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to mix ingredients thoroughly. You do not need to reconstitute the FD Okra because there is enough moisture in the Patak sauce to reconstitute it. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 3-4 hours.

This dish is excellent served over basmati rice, or put inside pita halves, tortillas, or taco shells and topped with avocado, tomatoes, salad greens, or pico de gallo.

Note: I personally use 1 tbsp of each spice because my family likes very spicy food. Start with a small amount of spice: you can always add more later. You can also add other spices of your choice: ancho, smoked paprika, tobasco, etc to make it hotter.

Patak's sauces are thick - if you like a thinner sauce, add some water or coconut milk. You may also add coconut milk as it cooks to tone down the spiciness; or eat it with sour cream or plain yogurt mixed in after it is cooked to tone down the spiciness.

Other FD or fresh vegetables may be substituted to suit your taste. I have used the NorthBay Hot or Regular FD/AD vegetable mixes, FD red/green peppers, and FD spinach with great success in this dish.

A sweet curry version can be made by using either canned pumpkin or fresh cubed sweet potatoes, cubed apple, nuts and raisins instead of the garbanzos, okra, and garlic.

Another variation is to use canned pumpkin, gnocchi, onion and frozen or FD peas instead of the garbanzos and okra.

I'm a chef who specializes in freeze-dried and shelf stable meals. I am so impressed with this okra! It cooks perfectly and has wonderful texture! Your delivery was very fast as well. I seriously had to stop myself from eating it right from the bag like popcorn! I just added a great review on my blog along with my Louisiana-style chicken gumbo meals in a jar recipe. Thank you! http://cheftessbakeresse.blogspot.com/2012/10/food-saver-vacuum-packing-meals-in-jar.html

He is not a big fan of cooked okra but will eat this freeze dried straight from the bag! Thank you North Bay Trading for great products

I had planned to add freeze dried okra to my veggie soup but they were so good right out of the bag, I couldn't stop eating them. Makes a wonderful snack!

Who knew that these 'FD Okra Cuts' could be so great to have on hand, ready at a moment's notice? Well, apparently I knew, 'cuz when I requested that NorthBay add this FD Veggie to their extensive lineup, they were happy to comply with my request. Each 1/2 inch cut is uniform in size, and when re-hydrated, is every bit as delightful as fresh okra; both in aroma and taste. It's really a wonderful convenience to have this choice vegetable on hand, with over a 2.5 years' Expiration Date, as opposed to trying to use up frozen okra before freezer burn sets in. This veggie will remain a staple in my pantry from here on out. I feel that this vegetable addition enhances and finishes each pot of the "32-Bean & '9'-Vegetable Soup" that I make!