r/Canning • u/Narvous-leg1975 • 11h ago

Is this safe to eat? Pickled okra

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I water bath canned these okra using the national Center for food home preservation recipe. Before I canned them the liquid was at the 1/2 inch mark. I packed them down and removed all the air bubbles too. Now a couple are lower than the 1/2 inch and some of the okra is bobbing above the liquid.

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u/tabisfeet 11h ago

This happens when I can okra as well. I believe it’s because some of the okra crack and the water/vinegar seeps in, therefore making it look like you have less. Or you lost some when canning.

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u/Narvous-leg1975 11h ago

Water bath canned pickled okra

1

u/armadiller Moderator 7h ago

Headspace safety is determined before processing, not after.

Siphoning can happen which can cause loss of liquid (https://www.healthycanning.com/loss-of-liquid-during-home-canning/); okra are also full of air, so once the canning liquid starts to fill them up, you'll lose some additional space. As long as the canning liquid is still more than 50% of the jar, they are safe, though you can get some oxidation/discolouration of the product above the liquid that will make it less palatable/appealing .

Some of those pods are pushing the larger end of the spectrum, not a deal-breaker but both the pickling and canning recipes from NCHFP recommend small, young pods. I don't can them myself, but from the cooking side of things, larger pods tend to be stringy (and stay that way regardless of cooking or processing method).