Okra

[johninfla]

I started mine at six inches apart with the rows three feet apart to till between. When the okra was about two inches high I thinned every other. I have also used the thinnings to start a new row......

For what it is worth....the ONLY acceptable way to eat okra is deep fried!!! It's too slimy for anything else.....in my opinion!

John

[Drahkk]

Jun 11, 2012 7:27:44 GMT -5 johninfla said:

For what it is worth....the ONLY acceptable way to eat okra is deep fried!!! It's too slimy for anything else.....in my opinion!

I used to agree with that, until I met my wife. She mixes it with an equal amount of chunked green tomatoes, adds a little salt, pepper, and garlic, flours the lot, lets it set until everything sticks together, then dumps the mess into a skillet with enough olive oil to keep it from sticking and cooks it all together, turning once or twice until it's brown on all sides. It may not sound appealing, and it isn't much to look at, but the smell and taste is incredible. Now I'm more likely to eat it that way than any other.

MB

[raymondo]

An okra/tomato pancake? Sounds good to me!

[johninfla]

Ok, this may be southern heresy but here it goes....... I don't like fried green tomatoes! There I said it......but I do love fried okra!

John

[johninfla]

I never thought about eating the seed.....what does it taste like? would you cook it like dry beans? If it tastes any good, it might be something worth trying here.....we are always overwhelmed with okra as it just keeps going all summer long......

John

[longhorngardens]

A few years ago I went out of town and didn't pick my Okra for about a week. When I got home I shelled the seed from the overgrown pods and soaked and cooked them like beans. They tasted like black eyed peas to me. I didn't care for them, but some might.

The best way to eat Okra is battered and fried in corn meal. The next best way is equal parts of Okra, tomatos, sweet corn, and black beans. When this is cooked down it is devine.

I space my okra at three feet with about five feet between rows.

[circumspice]

There is a faction that swears that the spinier the okra, the better the flavor. (I also have friends who swear that thornless prickly pear is worthless & that the thornier pads have much better flavor.)

Personally, I detest "YUCK-RA". I'm just not into mucilaginous icky stuff. (same goes for nopalitos) If it weren't a necessary ingredient in gumbo, I wouldn't mind if it disappeared from the face of the Earth. And it's a prickly, rash producing crop to try to harvest. ACK!!!

Bad okra one liner joke: How do you know when you've had enough boiled okra? When you get up from the table & there is a pile in your chair seat!

[johninfla]

I have to agree with you about the slimy stuff..nopalitos are pretty slimy too! Now deep fried okra is heaven sent!

John

[Deleted]

Companion planting red okra with kumatos, near drip emitters at 18" apart.

At the back of the narrow garden bed is a 6ft tall fence with passion fruit. At the front, is a south facing bed of hot gravel, near 100F. In the bed, are manure, decomposed chippings, and woodshop waste, covered with peanuts, sweet potatoes, and squash vines.

I like deepfried okra best.

Roasted seeds were used as a coffee substitute in times of shortage. And, the mallows are supposed to be soothing.

[12540dumont]

Well the okra is up. If it grows I'm going to gumbo it, pickle it, tempura it and see what it tastes like. I'm looking forward to some of the curry dishes I have seen it used in. I planted Clemson Spineless and Eagle Pass in the first row and then White Velvet and Giant Burmese in the other....

I like nopalitos in eggs. The eggs hide the slime.

[Drahkk]

Well if there's one benefit to this heat, it's that my okra finally decided to do something:

I put them in extra early this year, but they've been growing super slowly until the past month or so. Guess my strain really does require HOT weather to do much...

MB

[Deleted]

I found that weeds, namely prickly wild amaranths, ragweed, and lady's mantle, severely stunted the growth of nearby okra. Purslanes and goats heads have been known to overwhelm my vegetable plants at seedling height.

It can maintain a holding pattern, under water stress, but will thrive in moist, well-drained soil.

Mine also saw a growth spurt, in that extra-stifling heat, which comes just before a monsoon.

In short, that's watering, weeding, and sunshine.

I have heartfelt respect for the spirit of permaculture, but also believe in the concept of irreducible complexity, as it applies to farming. At some point, we're re-inventing the wheel, as the saying goes.

I believe it is possible to hunt, gather, and browse, as an individual, but am incredulous that most cooking, preservation, and so on, is convenient without much help.

I am not going to blanket the ground with a cloud of chemicals, but am more convinced, with every passing year, that most of our more down-to-earth traditions have a basis in reality.

[Drahkk]

Wasn't sure if I should put this here or in the joke thread, but here goes: Fear the Okra! At Delta State... feartheokra.com/

MB

[steev]

Last week-end, I found that one, ONE!, plant of the two varieties of okra I planted out, has survived after I thought they were all gone long ago. What a joke.

[12540dumont]

Okay, someone tell me if I'm dreaming or is this REALLY okra?

Steev, If I actually get some, I'm going to mail some to you. Joseph, if I get some, we might actually have seed next year.

Just so you all know, to get this plot of okra, I planted 150 seeds. Sheesh.

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