Okra

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Freddy, Jan 25, 2019.

  1. Freddy

    Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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    What’s it like? What do you do with it? :)
     
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    • NigelJ

      NigelJ Total Gardener

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      Not a lot, needs to be grown under cover and well fed. Also known as Lady's Fingers and used in Gumbo, soups and curries.
       
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      • Freddy

        Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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        I was wondering about the flavour? Can it be compared to something else? Or are we talking non-descipt?
         
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        • NigelJ

          NigelJ Total Gardener

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          I have eaten it, but the taste wasn't that memorable more of a texture thing. however I do have a poor senses of both taste and smell.
           
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          • Freddy

            Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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            Gotcha. Thanks Nigel :thumbsup:
             
          • Marley Farley

            Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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            It doesn’t taste of much @Freddy I have grown it in the greenhouse a few times but very prone to spider mite.. Nice flowers before the fruits but to be honest not enough okra per plant to make it worthwhile.. My other half likes it and I have several recipes for it but I can’t stand the slimey texture myself.. It gets flavour from what you cook it with, spices etc... I can buy it in my local supermarket so go for that.. High in vit’s and min’s though... It needs plenty of sun and heat..
             
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            • Freddy

              Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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              I should probably have posted this elsewhere. I don’t intend on growing it, just wondered what the flavour was like, and it’s uses :thumbsup:
               
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              • Mike Allen

                Mike Allen Total Gardener

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                Okra is also used in medicine. It's high in vitamin K. It has also been found to have albumin and serum qualities and has been used as blood volume expander in cases of extreme blood loss. It also has beneficial attributes relating to some forms of cancer.
                 
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                • Freddy

                  Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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                  Good info, ta :thumbsup:
                   
                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                  I was going to mention compost heap,

                  But was thinking it was just me.:biggrin:

                  So I'm not so strange after all.:smile:
                   
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                  • Webmaster

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                    • Mike Allen

                      Mike Allen Total Gardener

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                      I am no expert but I do enjoy cooking and trying new concoctions etc. I sometimes think that we perhaps need to spend a lottle more time experimenting with less familiar foods. We have become so use to much the same diet. Ir's like going abroad and asking for cod and chips.
                       
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                      • shiney

                        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                        I use it. :blue thumb:

                        It's not really possible to compare it to other veggies. It has a mild but distinct flavour and can be a bit slimy when cut open when fresh, but not when cooked. I use it in a Gumbo type stew, an Indian soup (much easier to use it in its tinned version for that) which is also made with Tamarind (an acquired taste on the acidic side) and tomato, in currys and is quite nice deep fried.

                        For deep frying you cut it into half inch pieces, sprinkle it with a little salt and chilli powder and straight into hot oil.

                        The frying is very quick and you take it out and put on kitchen paper to drain - nice and crispy.

                        If you wish to cook it whole (quite effective as a finger buffet) you can also coat it lightly in gram flour (chick pea flour) and deep fry it. You can do this with or without dipping in beaten egg first and you can mix spices in with the flour. To get a uniform size to them you can buy them tinned (they're smaller and more tender than fresh), drain them and let them drain properly before coating and frying.
                         
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                        • MRishi

                          MRishi Gardener

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                          Okra..mmmmm..yummy. its one of my very first dish I made ready when mum come home after hard working day in my teens, picking fresh tender okra from plants ,cut into cubes and saute /fry with mustard and cumin seasoning and with onions,garlic and add salt and chilli. or stew them with sweat and sour ingredients which can be substituted with berries here. there are hell lot of dishes (google with 'Andhra Okra dishes' not all of them go slimy as its more to do growing conditions in my opinion .

                          I now only buy okra from supermarket as kids love them fried okra with rice.


                          they grow better in direct soil under cover, than in pots .
                           
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                          • Cinnamon

                            Cinnamon Super Gardener

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                            As above...
                            Cooked as a stew with water it is slimey.
                            If dry fried it's not.
                            I used to grow with when I lived in rural Papua New Guinea because the local veg in my area were all soft and I wanted something different. I'd only grow it here if it was a veg I particularly liked, which I don't. I bought a pack of seed cheap one year and tried growing it in the UK but my plants damped off. I think it'd need lots of sun and either a polytunnel or good weather.
                            It's got a lovely flower though, like a hollyhock. I think the red variety is excellently decorative. The regular one has a yellow flower. It's in that Malvaceae family so shares pests with those plants.
                             
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