Has anyone grown Okra?

[hurriken]

I was given a package of okra seed this year and they took off. I have 'fruit' now but does anyone know when to pick it?

 

[alblancher]

The smaller the better.  When it gets big it gets stringy and very tough.  Throw it away if it is over 4 inches long.  They will produce huge numbers of pods if you keep it picked.  Try it for yourself you may be able to let specific varieties get bigger but I like to pick small.  You can cut into 1/2 inch slices and fry, pickle, saute to get the slime out and then cook with tomato and ham chunks.

 

[hurriken]

Thanks for the great answer. Okra isn't too popular where I live near Chicago in fact I've never even tried to cook it.. We lived in Texas for a few years and fried okra quickly became one of our favorites. Do you have a breading recipe for deep frying? The ham and tomato thing sounds great too!

 

[otter]

Okra is great I plant it every year . Great pickeled or fried

 

[roller]

As it gets taller knock the leaves off below the Pods that will give it better groth on top. It likes to be warm and will make till frost.It is great fryed but roll it in corn meal and flour when you fry it. I do alot of pickling its great with Beer..

 

[hurriken]

Wow, That looks really good. I didn't know it could be pickled.

 

[pineywoods]

I have some planted and I'm having to pick it 2-3 times a week or the pods get too big. My County Extension Agent was out today and he picked a couple and ate them raw

 

[roller]

Lots of veggies to be eaten raw from the garden. When I am picking I am usually eating...

 

[eman]

As it gets taller knock the leaves off below the Pods that will give it better groth on top. It likes to be warm and will make till frost.It is great fryed but roll it in corn meal and flour when you fry it. I do alot of pickling its great with Beer..

That okra just looks like it's waiting for a bloody mary to appear

 

[hurriken]

So I guess I waited too long to pick this one?

 

[pineywoods]

That would depend on the variety you planted. Take it in your hand and put your thumb on the tip that's up in your pick and push with your thumb. If it's not to big then it should snap. If it bends but doesn't snap then it's too big. That being said if your going to slice them up, batter and fry them then you can get away with using some of the bigger ones as long as they are still soft. I picked about a 1/2 of a 5 gal bucket full today and on Tuesday I picked almost two full 5 gal buckets of them. Once they start producing you'll have to pick often in order for them not to grow too big

 

[otter]

 They are also great on the grill you can roast them like hot dogs...

 

[pineywoods]

I picked a half a 5 gallon bucket again today the stuff is growing like weeds

 

[oldschoolbbq]

   Cut it up into 1/2" length,roll in the Cornmeal/Flour mix and lay on a cookie sheet and freeze,bag and use for fried or unbreaded in Gumbos or soups.I don't have the room to grow so I get it at the market and but the pickeled k

ind every chance I get.My G-son LOVES it and is allways getting some when he comes over.

   Look through some cooking forums for recipes(WIKI). Boiled Okra,Onions and Tomatoes are the Bomb(if you don't mind it being a little slimy)not the right description,but good. The consistency of the vegy is the turnoff for most folks,but they don't know what they are missing.

 

[roller]

That okra just looks like it's waiting for a bloody mary to appear

Its great with a good cold beer !!!
 

 

[roller]

It loves Hot weather !

 

[eman]

Add some white vinegar when sauteing your okra for gumbo or okra and tomatoes and it will remove alot of the slime.

 

[meateater]

I've stepped on it a few times in the grocery store. 

 Sorry I just can't get past the slime. 

 

[hurriken]

I harvested the first Okra. I washed it and cut it into bite size pieces. I mixed up some egg, dipped it and coated it with yellow corn meal. I fried it in a pan with oil. It was delicious. A tad bit grainy but good. I found a guy on youtube that claims salting it before or during cooking will bring out the slime. There was no slime on mine at all. Next time I would skip the egg and rinse it in water before dipping in the corn meal. Another note, the bigger okra tasted better. It must be the type. It also lasts awhile after picking. I will grow okra again.

 

[barneypoo69]

You can also let some okra stay on & keep growing. When the plant is about "gone" The overgrown okra will be light brown & very long. Cut it off, store the pod  & next year, open up the pods & you will have plenty of okra seeds to plant......keep the generation going & share the seeds.