I grew Okra. Now What?
Welcome to my "now what?" series. This is part of my Food Storage Prepping in the Garden collection to help you better understand what you are growing and how to use your harvest.
Did you know that Okra belongs in the Mallow family, which also includes Hibiscus? Okra blooms are gorgeous!
Okra grows best in warm climates with warm nights, preferring temps between 70 and 95 degrees F.
Before you even begin to harvest Okra, it is important to COVER UP. Not everyone reacts to okra but myself and a few I have spoken to react severely. I wear my protection sleeves and gloves. It’s kinda funny (but not) that I can eat raw okra but cannot touch it with my bare hands.
The key to harvesting tender Okra pods is to harvest early and harvest often. Personally, I would rather harvest a small(ish) okra than one that has been let on the plant too long and is too tough to eat. Okra pods should be harvested daily with a sharp knife or scissors. Do not pull okra pods off.
Refrigerate okra pods after harvest. This is important. Okra does not store well on the counter.
Ways to Cook Okra Pods
Okra pods can be cooked just after harvest in stews, gumbos, or as a fried side dish. If you want to prolong this summer treat, okra pods can also be pickled, or steamed and frozen.
Roast: Toss whole or halved pods with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast at 425° F for 15-20 minutes until crispy.
Fry: Slice into wheels, dredge in cornmeal or flour with spices, and pan-fry in oil until crunchy.
Stew: Add sliced okra to Cajun gumbos, tomato-based stews, or a classic okra, corn, and tomato sauté. It acts as a natural thickener.
Pickle: Pack whole or large-cut pods into jars with vinegar, water, garlic, and dill for a crunchy, shelf-stable snack.
My favorite way to eat okra is Pickled with spicy peppers. If you choose to Pickle your okra, you can waterbath can it instead of pressure cook.
Preserving Okra
Ways to preserve your Okra Harvest include Pickling, Dehydrating, Freezing and Freeze Drying.
Okra Seed Saving
If you are interested in saving Okra Seeds, you will need to leave the pods on the plant until the are almost dry. It is best to wait until later in the season to start seed saving. When you leave the pods on the plant longer, it takes more energy from the plant so food production slows down.
Collect dry pods from the plant with a sharp part of scissors. Lay the Okra pods out to fully dry in a warm, dry spot away from direct sunlight.
Once fully dry, pull the okra pods apart and collect seeds. Store fully dry seeds in a glass jar, label and store in a dark spot for next season.
1 comment
Recipes would be helpful! My son loves pickled okra, but we just kind of test things out. What should the ratios be in a pickling mixture?