Quote:
Originally Posted by habitat_gardener
... a question: once they form pods, what is the picking window? I'm not sure if I should pick every one when I see it, or wait a day or two for it to get larger.)
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You know, that's going to vary with the variety so you're going to have to test yours a bit to get a feel for that point where they stop being tender and start getting woody. I take my pocket knife and see how easily (or not) it slices into a pod below the cap. I've had some like Jing Orange and Burmese that had pods still tender at 8". Others get tough at 4-5".
Personally I like to let them get as large as I can yet still have tender okra. I call it getting your money's worth!
We like to cook okra with field peas, onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes and maybe a tad of bell pepper or jalapeno together. Good stuff! And can't forget fried, my favorite way. I have a recipe for grilled okra where you roll them in a bbq rub, thread on skewers and grill them, getting a little char on them. They're decent but a bit worky so I don't make them often.
Come to think of it, I won't eat okra raw or boiled (slime factor) so I'll probably not be able to taste test the two varieties!