Okra
 

I'm thinking of growing okra this year for the first time. Any variety recommendations will be appreciated. I plan on growing the okra in an area which will be vacated by the Chinese cabbage currently occupying the space. I have my fingers crossed about growing it because a friend who lives near me tried to grow it a few years ago and found it to be a favorite food of fire ants. The ant's destroyed the okra plants and didn't touch anything else.


We were members of a group which had occasional parties with everyone bringing a dish prepared at home. We had one lady who grew up in Africa where Okra is called "Lady Fingers". She decided to prepare a dessert which called for lady fingers (the pastry) as the base. She brought her dessert prepared according to the recipe and folks had a hard time figuring out how okra was supposed to be a sweet dessert.

Don, I have a great nephew who could eat fried okra all day long. In keeping him supplied, I have been growing Clemson Spineless. Put it in the ground about 1/2" deep while things are still cooler. Plan for them to be mature during early summer weather. Clip or cut the pods off when they are no more than 4 inches long. Now, you can decide whether or not to cut into one inch lengths for fried okra or whatever you want.

We also use the pods that get too large and somewhat tough. I put them in a processor or coffee grinder and make a fine dust. We put this into stews, biscuits, and a myriad of other things to either gently flavor or thicken the finished product. It even goes into the Thanksgiving stuffing.

There are no special growing recommendations. After planting, I just keep it watered. Be sure to harvest every two or three days. Cutting off the pods seems to make the plant put on more blooms and pods.

I grow [URL="https://www.rareseeds.com/fife-creek-cowhorn-okra/reviews/"]Fife Creek Cowhorn okra[/URL] because I can get a longer pod that's still soft, that makes a huge difference when I put up 45 quarts of smothered okra compared to 4-5" pods. I harvest 6-8" pods every 2 days, depending on how fast they grow you might have to harvest 5" pods because they'll be too long in the 2 days you wait.

FYI, [URL="https://www.rareseeds.com/philippine-lady-finger-okra/reviews/"]Lady Fingers[/URL] are a type of okra.

Ants and okra go hand in hand but you can control them. They feed on the aphids so check your plants and you should be fine.

Cow horn for me too.
Huge pods that are still tender.

Silver Queen Okra is similar to Cowhorn Okra from what I read. Silver Queen is 2 to 3 times more productive and tastes better than Clemson Spinless. I wouldn't waste my garden space with Clemson Spinless ever again but that's my opinion.


[url]https://parkseed.com/silver-queen-okra-seeds/p/05193-PK-P1/[/url]


Please be aware that Park Seed is much maligned and hated in Tomatoville even though they may be the largest mail order seed vendor in the United States, so they must have some satisfied customers :spin:

[QUOTE=ContainerTed;728252]Don, I have a great nephew who could eat fried okra all day long. In keeping him supplied, I have been growing Clemson Spineless. Put it in the ground about 1/2" deep while things are still cooler. Plan for them to be mature during early summer weather. Clip or cut the pods off when they are no more than 4 inches long. Now, you can decide whether or not to cut into one inch lengths for fried okra or whatever you want.

We also use the pods that get too large and somewhat tough. I put them in a processor or coffee grinder and make a fine dust. We put this into stews, biscuits, and a myriad of other things to either gently flavor or thicken the finished product. It even goes into the Thanksgiving stuffing.

There are no special growing recommendations. After planting, I just keep it watered. Be sure to harvest every two or three days. Cutting off the pods seems to make the plant put on more blooms and pods.[/QUOTE]


I used to be the same way on fried okra. When our kids were small, we would sit around watching the Dallas Cowboys play football and snacking on fried okra instead of popcorn. I like it in an egg wash and cornmeal. I don't like the batter most restaurants cook it in today. We also don't each much fried food today, so I guess it is good that we also like okra and tomatoes cooked together.

Just curious if most folks cut the base off okra pods the way I do before cooking it. Most packaged okra prepared for frying includes the base and small stem in the package. I've always thought they are tough and tossed them in the trash.

No because if they are tender they,-- well are tender.
If they snap off the plant you can eat them.

Just curious if most folks cut the base off okra pods the way I do before cooking it. Most packaged okra prepared for frying includes the base and small stem in the package. I've always thought they are tough and tossed them in the trash.


Any other ideas on cooking okra? I prefer Cajun gumbo in a dark roux without okra. Creole gumbo like they serve in New Orleans includes okra in a light roux. To me, the light roux is more of a soup where the dark roux is closer to a stew.

[QUOTE=seaeagle;728264]Silver Queen Okra is similar to Cowhorn Okra from what I read. Silver Queen is 2 to 3 times more productive and tastes better than Clemson Spinless. I wouldn't waste my garden space with Clemson Spinless ever again but that's my opinion.


[url]https://parkseed.com/silver-queen-okra-seeds/p/05193-PK-P1/[/url]


Please be aware that Park Seed is much maligned and hated in Tomatoville even though they may be the largest mail order seed vendor in the United States, so they must have some satisfied customers :spin:[/QUOTE]

Sliver Queen is considered a white okra and some people say white okra has better flavor but I couldn't tell the difference.

I have plenty of FC cowhorn seed if you want to do a side by side comparison.

[QUOTE=seaeagle;728264]Silver Queen Okra is similar to Cowhorn Okra from what I read. Silver Queen is 2 to 3 times more productive and tastes better than Clemson Spinless. I wouldn't waste my garden space with Clemson Spinless ever again but that's my opinion.


[URL]https://parkseed.com/silver-queen-okra-seeds/p/05193-PK-P1/[/URL]


Please be aware that Park Seed is much maligned and hated in Tomatoville even though they may be the largest mail order seed vendor in the United States, so they must have some satisfied customers :spin:[/QUOTE]


Thank you for your comment about Silver Queen okra and about Park Seed. I've never ordered from Park Seed probably because of comments on this forum. I may give them a try and just see what my experience is. I pay more attention to shipping charges than anything else. It kinda ticks me off to buy ten bucks of seed and pay eight bucks for shipping.

[QUOTE=DonDuck;728268]Just curious if most folks cut the base off okra pods the way I do before cooking it. Most packaged okra prepared for frying includes the base and small stem in the package. I've always thought they are tough and tossed them in the trash.


Any other ideas on cooking okra? I prefer Cajun gumbo in a dark roux without okra. Creole gumbo like they serve in New Orleans includes okra in a light roux. To me, the light roux is more of a soup where the dark roux is closer to a stew.[/QUOTE]

Being a Cajun we don't just chop okra and throw it in gumbo. We smother it and add it to roux or just make a straight okra gumbo. Smothered okra is eaten here as a side dish or you can add seafood to it and make a thick stew, the cooked down okra makes a thick gravy/stew so it's a perfect fit for gumbo.

Try it cooked that way once and you'll be a fan if you like the fried okra taste.

[QUOTE=DonDuck;728271]Thank you for your comment about Silver Queen okra and about Park Seed. I've never ordered from Park Seed probably because of comments on this forum. I may give them a try and just see what my experience is. I pay more attention to shipping charges than anything else. It kinda ticks me off to buy ten bucks of seed and pay eight bucks for shipping.[/QUOTE]

Don, just like the Las Vegas casinos. The amount of money you take out of your wallet might just be the price of your entertainment for that foray.

Forewarned is forarmed.

[QUOTE=DonDuck;728271]Thank you for your comment about Silver Queen okra and about Park Seed. I've never ordered from Park Seed probably because of comments on this forum. I may give them a try and just see what my experience is. I pay more attention to shipping charges than anything else. It kinda ticks me off to buy ten bucks of seed and pay eight bucks for shipping.[/QUOTE]


FYI the free shipping is only until midnight

[QUOTE=Rajun Gardener;728269]Sliver Queen is considered a white okra and some people say white okra has better flavor but I couldn't tell the difference.

I have plenty of FC cowhorn seed if you want to do a side by side comparison.[/QUOTE]


Thanks I think I will stay with this Okra for this year anyway. Just curious though as you have grown both you must like Cowhorn better. What is the difference and why do you prefer [URL="https://www.rareseeds.com/fife-creek-cowhorn-okra/reviews/"]Fife Creek Cowhorn okra[/URL], if I may ask?