okra

April

about

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is considered a vegetable however, what we eat is its edible fruit pod. Okra is a member of the hibiscus family with a flower that looks like a hibiscus flower and comes in a kaleidoscope of colors. Like hibiscus, okra has wide leaves and grows to the size of a medium shrub. A staple of southern cuisine, okra came to the Americas from Western Africa. It is traditionally used to thicken soups or gumbos or sometimes just served up fried. It is increasingly valued as an ornamental, too.

Cultivators for Florida include Annie Oakley II, Cajun Delight, Emerald, Clemson Spineless, and North and South. Cow’s Horn and Blondy are also popular. Alabama Red and Burgundy offer bold, red foliage and striking flowers.

planting

Okra has a high heat tolerance and long growing season, and is well suited for Florida’s hot, humid summers. Okra grows best at temperatures between 75° and 90°F.

Plant this warm-season vegetable when the evening temperatures are in the mid 50’s. Peak months stretch from March to November. Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil. Soak the seeds in water for six hours prior to planting which will boost germination. Okra should be planted in rows 3-6’ apart with 9-12” between seeds in the row at a depth of 3/4” deep.

Okra grows best when the soil is above 65°F and is well watered. Cool soils can lead to slow growth and seedling diseases. A crop can be grown in all soil types although sandy loam soils high in organic matter are the most desirable. It is important that soil be well-drained. Plant in full sun for best productivity. The okra plant has a sensitive balance between vegetation (leaf production) and reproduction (pod production). A balanced, slow-release fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 6-6-6- is a good choice for okra in the home vegetable garden.

care

Temperature and soil moisture are the limiting factors for okra’s growth rate. The garden should be watered sufficiently to moisten the soil to a depth of 6”. Light watering will encourage shallow rooting of the plants. The critical period for soil moisture is during pod set and pod development.

Since okra has such a long growing season, controlling weeds early is critical. Okra suffers damage from a wide range of insect and arachnid pests. Aphids, cucumber beetles, melon thrips, southern green stink bugs, whiteflies, caterpillars and spider mites are common but controllable. Scout early and practice integrated pest management. Okra is also susceptible to damage from root-knot nematodes. Crop rotation is especially helpful in keeping nematode populations manageable.

harvest

From the planting date to harvest, okra is a fast-growing and high yield crop. Depending on the cultivar, harvest can begin 50 to 70 days after planting. When okra starts to bloom, harvest will happen within a few days. Pods should be picked when they reach about two to three inches in length.

It is a good idea to harvest okra early and often. Okra should be picked several times a week in order to harvest tender, young pods. At the peak of harvest season, daily picking may be necessary as pods become fibrous when left on the stalk too long. The pods will be too tough to eat if they mature on the plant. If this happens, the elongated pods may be used in flower arrangements to make an interesting display.

While harvesting, care should be taken to avoid fine hairs on the stem, leaves and fruit as they may cause skin irritation. Wearing long sleeves and rubber gloves will help reduce skin irritation.

digging a little deeper

To reduce waste and ensure that you always have a supply of okra seeds, consider saving seeds from your mature okra plants. Let some of the okra pods mature on the plant until they are fully grown and dry. The pods will turn brown and become dry and brittle. Once the okra pods have dried completely, remove the pods from the plant and carefully break them open. Inside, you will find the okra seeds. Clean the seeds by removing any chaff, debris, or plant material. Store the cleaned okra seeds in a cool, dry, airtight container such as a glass jar or a sealed plastic bag.

REFERENCES

1) https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/okra.html

2) Blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/manateeco/2020/06/30/oh-to-okra-a-summer-time-vegetable

3) Blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sumprco/2021/02/16/growing-okra-for-gumbo-and-beyond

4) hgic.clemson.edu/backsheet/okra

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/manateeco/2020/06/30/oh-to-okra-a-summer-time-vegetable/

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/mastergardener/outreach/plant_id/vegetables/okra.shtml

Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/VH021

Okra Production in Miami-Dade County, Florida https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/TR009

Chapter 10. Minor Vegetable Crop Production https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/CV294

Davis, T. W. (2022). Grower’s Guide: A review for sustainable production of Okra (abelmoschus esculentus) in West Africa and other regions. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology, 10(10), 128–138. https://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2022.46950

Authors

Dr. Colin Burrows & Tony Salzman, UF/IFAS Master Gardener Volunteers, Alachua County

Emily Deruelle, UF graduate student, Agroecology

Dr. Cynthia Nazario-Leary, UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Extension Agent, Alachua County

selecting, preparing, storing and cooking okra

Vegetables are an important source of fiber and many nutrients. Eating plenty fruits and veggies like okra may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers. Okra contains fiber and antioxidants that promote heart health. Okra is low in fat and calories and high in vitamin C, A and K, folate, and other B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Okra used by consumers in several cuisines including Creole, Cajun, Caribbean, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern however, a large quantity of okra is sold to soup companies. Okra is one of my favorite vegetables.

Selection: Look for brightly colored pods. If okra is too ripe, it will have a very sticky texture. Avoid pods that are limp and old or have brown streaks. Look for small tender pods under four inches long that are free of bruises and are not soft but crisp-looking yet tender. To know how much to purchase for recipes and home use allow one-fourth pound per serving and one bushel of okra weighs 26 pounds and yields 16 to 18 quarts. This is an average of 1.5 pounds per quart.

Storage: Fresh okra is very perishable. Keep no more than two to three days in the refrigerator. To keep pods very dry store the okra pods unwashed in a paper bag or wrapped in a paper towel and placed inside a perforated plastic bag. Moisture will cause okra pods to become slimy and quickly mold. Wash the okra when ready to use.

Preparing: To prevent cross contamination, keep okra away from raw meat and meat juices. Wash hands before and after handling fresh produce. For best quality and nutritional value, do not preserve more than your family can consume in 12 months. To freeze okra, you need to blanch the okra for two minutes before freezing. To wash okra, rinse the okra thoroughly under cold running water. Place the okra pods in a strainer and hold it over the sink under cold running water from the tap. Move the pods around with your hands to make sure you rinse them all off. When preparing the downy variety of okra, gently scrub the surface with a paper towel. If you plan to cook a lot of okra and the strainer is very full, then you can work in smaller batches to make it easier to clean the pods thoroughly. If you are just using a small number of pods, you can wash them individually by holding 1-2 in your hand at a time rather than using a strainer. Rub spines off older, larger pods under running water. Okra pods begin to grow small, fuzzy spines as they mature that you need to remove before eating them. Hold any such pods under running water and gently rub them all over with a scouring pad, vegetable brush, or paper towel to remove the tiny spines. Keep in mind, smaller, younger okra pods are better for cooking, as they are more tender and have not yet developed spines. Trim off the very tip of the stem with a paring knife. Cut around the base of the stem without cutting into the okra pod. Discard the tips of the stems. This part of the stem can be very woody and not good for eating. The rest of the okra pod can be eaten whole. After you have washed the okra, pat the okra dry with a paper towel and lay out the okra pods on a flat, clean surface after rinsing them. Pat them dry with a paper towel as much as you can and then let them sit until they are totally dry to the touch. Wet okra pods will release more liquid, or slime, than dry ones.

Cooking: Okra can be deep-fried, steamed, baked, boiled, stewed, pickled, sautéed, or stir-fried. Do not cook okra in pans made of copper, brass, or iron as the chemical properties will turn okra black. It combines well with other vegetables, especially tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and onions. Okra is a natural thickening agent. Rapid cooking will preserve flavor and prevent pastiness. When okra is cut, it releases a sticky substance with thickening properties that can be used in soups, gumbos, and stews. So keep this in mind when cutting okra to use in cooking and if you do not what the thickening properties cook whole. To prevent sticky okra, wait to season your okra when you are ready to serve not at the beginning or during the cooking process when sautéing. The result of adding before or during cooking will result in sticky okra. Frying the okra for one to two minutes will allow the mucous membrane around the seeds to break down, reducing sliminess. Searing the outside of okra also adds a very nice, charred flavor that complements its natural flavor. Fry, grill, or sauté the okra over high heat. High heat helps reduce the amount of liquid that okra releases. Set the stove, oven, or grill to very high heat any time you want to sauté, roast, or grill okra to make it less slimy. If you are looking for a way to reduce okra from being slimy here are a few tips. The acidity of vinegar helps to reduce the natural slime of okra. You can also add a splash of vinegar, lemon juice, or wine to any recipe to help reduce the amount of liquid the okra releases. Chopped tomatoes help as well. Okra is a wonderful addition to stews because it will thicken any liquid it is cooked in due to the viscous liquid cut okra gives off. Gumbo likely got its name from the okra pod. Though gumbo may be thickened with okra, filé powder, or roux, many feel okra is an essential ingredient in any good gumbo. I am one of those individuals! The battering and frying okra eliminate the off-putting sliminess people dislike. These is recipes to use an air fryer to make the frying process healthier. Some complementary ingredients and sauces for okra include basil, garlic, butter, lemon, parsley, tomatoes, vinaigrette, and hollandaise. Other than fried okra one of my favorite ways to eat okra is grilled with basil, lemon, olive oil and garlic served with grilled eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Sometimes this is a meal for me and sometimes I add a piece of grilled lemon salmon with bail pesto to these veggies for my meal.

Okra Nutrition: Serving size: 1 cup contains the following: Calories: 35; Total Fat: 0 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Total Carbohydrates: 7 g; Protein: 3 g; and Sodium: 10 mg.

I would like to share two of my family's favorite recipes:

roasted okra

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

18 small fresh okra pods (If using larger pods, slice into ½ inch pieces.)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste.

1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste.

Directions: Preheat an oven to 425°F Arrange the okra in one layer on a foil lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn every 5 minutes for even browning. Experiment with other seasonings to your taste.

mediterranean baked okra

Total Time: 1 1⁄2 hours

Ingredients:

1-pound fresh okra

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell pepper cut in thin strips.

1 green bell pepper cut in thin strips.

2 white onions chopped finely.

3 tomatoes sliced in rounds.

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley finely chopped.

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash okra and dry well. Trim off the end of the stems, being careful not to cut into the pod. Put okra in a large, flat dish and sprinkle with vinegar. Make sure all sides are coated well. Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes. Rinse okra well in cold water and drain. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and cook onions until golden brown. Place okra pods in rows in a baking dish and sprinkle with onions. Put tomato slices on okra and then crisscross pepper strips on tomatoes. Scatter the parsley over and season with plenty black pepper and pepper flakes. Drizzle rest of olive oil evenly over vegetables and add water. Bake at 375°F for almost an hour. Allow to cool and serve barely warm.

Selecting, Preparing, Storing and Cooking Okra submitted by: Martha Maddox, CEA IV, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County.

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