Recipes

[Icegoddess]

Has anybody frozen BREADED eggplant/squash/zucchini like okra for frying/Air Frying?  Does it come out as expected?  

[KingstonsMom]

Absolutely you can.

Many breaded veggies are sold in supermarkets in the freezer dept. and come out fine.

[fthunt]

My guess - don't thaw first.  Ready breaded meats (QVC)  - like chicken - and Omaha breaded products........says don't thaw, just put in oven at 400 - 450 degrees and then it turns crispy instead of soggy.  Perhaps that goes for veggies too; but I've never tried them.  Check your book for air fryer temps.

[Icegoddess]

Thanks, I just don't remember seeing anything but breaded okra in the freezer aisle so I was afraid there might be a reason. I freeze my breaded okra on a cookie sheet and then put them in a Foodsaver bag.  

[KingstonsMom]

@Icegoddess 

Freeze your breaded eggplant, zucchini, etc., the same way!

[ECBG]

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@Icegoddess wrote:

Thanks, I just don't remember seeing anything but breaded okra in the freezer aisle so I was afraid there might be a reason. I freeze my breaded okra on a cookie sheet and then put them in a Foodsaver bag.  

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In my experience purchased breaded okra seems to be "hard" after cooking, probably from what the vender used as a coat to help the cornmeal and flour bind.

I can easily slice through whole frozen okra, run through a little milk and a mix of cornmeal and flour and it's great.

The pre breaded was horrible!

[KingstonsMom]

@ECBG 

I agree about buying the frozen breaded okra, so much tastier and fresher taste to bread and freeze your own.

[Icegoddess]

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@ECBG wrote:

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@Icegoddess wrote:

Thanks, I just don't remember seeing anything but breaded okra in the freezer aisle so I was afraid there might be a reason. I freeze my breaded okra on a cookie sheet and then put them in a Foodsaver bag.  

---

In my experience purchased breaded okra seems to be "hard" after cooking, probably from what the vender used as a coat to help the cornmeal and flour bind.

I can easily slice through whole frozen okra, run through a little milk and a mix of cornmeal and flour and it's great.

The pre breaded was horrible!

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@ECBG I have never eaten store bought frozen breaded okra.  I have heard it's terrible.  I make my own from fresh.  In fact, I am growing dwarf okra in containers this year because my front yard is the only place I have that gets enough sun to grow veggies.  I have okra, patio eggplant, and a cucumber plant.  However, I have been living here 20+ years and this is my first time here doing that.  I have been missing fried okra something terrible, only getting it when I ate out.  Last year I bought some from a Farmer's Market and froze it, but my home grown looks so much better although it takes a bit to get enough pods for a meal.

[Icegoddess]

I actually came up with a different recipe for use with my air fryer.  For deep frying I soak in buttermilk w/egg and then coat with a mixture of equal parts flour and white cornmeal.  However, that didn't work too well for me in the air fryer.  The flour didn't brown and it was hard.  I have heard if you spritz it really well with oil and let that soak in awhile the flour will brown, but I haven't tried that.  

For the air fryer I started out with almond flour, then the buttermilk/egg mixture and then breading with a breadcrumb mixture and that worked out really well.  Tonight I tried just plain flour instead of the almond flour since it is the bottom layer and it worked well too.  So, I think as the bottom layer almond flour or AP flour works equally well.  

Tonight's menu:  Honey Hoisin Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, & Air Fried Okra

[Kachina624]

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@KingstonsMom wrote:

Absolutely you can.

Many breaded veggies are sold in supermarkets in the freezer dept. and come out fine.

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@KingstonsMom   Processors have special equipment and ingredients for preparing and flash freezing them.  I visualize the homemade variety being a big mess.  I'd preparsmall quanityvas an exoeriment.