Garden

[pachutabelle]

That's a nice photo.  Okra is in the hibiscus family hence the very similar pretty blossoms.

[spumoni99]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@cheriere wrote:

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@spumoni99 wrote:

I love okra but never thought about growing it myself.  I have had more luck buying frozen okra, for some reason fresh okra a lot of times is tough, not sure why.

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I agree.  Sometimes it's just tough for no explainable reason.

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@cheriere 

@spumoni99 

Okra loves hot weather, but if it gets dry, it turns hard as a rock.  The plant still makes okra pods but they get really hard and crunchy.

The frozen okra is commercially harvested, so they'll use all the pods, dry or not.

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I have more luck with the frozen ones though, not fresh.

[Zhills]

The size of the pod is not the only determining factor for toughness!  Many large pods are tender.

What 60 different okra varieties look like!

[geezerette]

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@spumoni99 wrote:

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@geezerette wrote:

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@cheriere wrote:

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@spumoni99 wrote:

I love okra but never thought about growing it myself.  I have had more luck buying frozen okra, for some reason fresh okra a lot of times is tough, not sure why.

---

I agree.  Sometimes it's just tough for no explainable reason.

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@cheriere 

@spumoni99 

Okra loves hot weather, but if it gets dry, it turns hard as a rock.  The plant still makes okra pods but they get really hard and crunchy.

The frozen okra is commercially harvested, so they'll use all the pods, dry or not.

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I have more luck with the frozen ones though, not fresh.

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@spumoni99 

You really can only find the hard ones if you grow your own.  Then you can sort them before cooking.  

If I have to buy okra, I get the frozen too.

[On It]

Sorry everyone. My husband needed me to take care of some business. I have been gone until now. Buying okra in the produce department is a lost cause. I do not do it. I would rather have Stillwell's frozen breaded ready to to fry than buy that stuff in the produce department. I fry my okra in an electric skillet in a generous amount of Crisco.

Okra pods are best harvested young and tender in the early morning. The longest pods we used were maybe 3 to 4 inches. We would cut off longer ones and throw them on the ground. For boiled okra we chose smaller pods, but my mom and I were the only ones who liked it even from the entire extended family. If you have the opportunity, try fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh black eyed peas, and fried okra. Make a side of tomato relish. It is just the best meal.

[On It]

I forgot a couple of things. Wear a long sleeve shirt and rubber gloves to cut okra. The plant stings and itches bare skin.

To fry fresh okra, cut into roughly half inch slices, dip into a beaten egg diluted with a little milk. Have a zip lock bag with cornmeal and some flour throughly shaken together. Drop the dipped okra into the bag. Shake to coat. Put the coated okra into the hot Crisco in a skillet. I never use a deep fryer. It changes the way the okra cooks and affects the taste.

[On It]

@geezerette @Zhills @spumoni99 @pachutabelle @cheriere There are two posts above responding to you guys. I was away, but I am back now.

[On It]

@Zhills @geezerette @pachutabelle @Icegoddess I made two posts above here about your okra discussions. They include my two cents worth of information. Sorry I went missing, but my husband needed me to help him with some business that could not wait.

[cheriere]

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@On It wrote:

I forgot a couple of things. Wear a long sleeve shirt and rubber gloves to cut okra. The plant stings and itches bare skin.

To fry fresh okra, cut into roughly half inch slices, dip into a beaten egg diluted with a little milk. Have a zip lock bag with cornmeal and some flour throughly shaken together. Drop the dipped okra into the bag. Shake to coat. Put the coated okra into the hot Crisco in a skillet. I never use a deep fryer. It changes the way the okra cooks and affects the taste.

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I fix mine the exact same way.  It sure is hard to first work up.  Gloves and sleeves are a must!  You're right about using a skillet too.😃

[spumoni99]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@spumoni99 wrote:

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@geezerette wrote:

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@cheriere wrote:

---

@spumoni99 wrote:

I love okra but never thought about growing it myself.  I have had more luck buying frozen okra, for some reason fresh okra a lot of times is tough, not sure why.

---

I agree.  Sometimes it's just tough for no explainable reason.

---

@cheriere 

@spumoni99 

Okra loves hot weather, but if it gets dry, it turns hard as a rock.  The plant still makes okra pods but they get really hard and crunchy.

The frozen okra is commercially harvested, so they'll use all the pods, dry or not.

---

I have more luck with the frozen ones though, not fresh.

---

@spumoni99 

You really can only find the hard ones if you grow your own.  Then you can sort them before cooking.  

If I have to buy okra, I get the frozen too.

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I have found plenty of hard ones buying them fresh at the market.