Veggie Spotlight: Okra…Try it Raw!

Okra. Most people either adore it or abhor it. You have to hand it to a vegetable that manages to be slimy, crunchy, prickly, edible and TASTY all at the same time.

My current favorite okra recipe is not well known, and the simplest of all: eat it raw. I LOVE raw okra. Make sure you have very fresh, young pods. They are wonderfully mild, crisp and moist—the perfect munch-your-way-through-the-garden snack. Okra has visual appeal as well; slice up a pod and you’ll have a cutting board full of little wheels, with a single pale seed nestled between each spoke. At 3-4 calories per pod, fat-free, and chock full of amino acids and minerals, what more could one ask for?

Okra is a star in the summer garden, a consolation prize for surviving July and August in Oklahoma. Plant in May when soil and air temperatures have warmed up, and begin harvesting in two months or less. Harvest frequently, at least every other day; okra pods grow quickly and will rapidly turn woody. Test it with a knife; it should cut like butter. Okra is a generous plant; the more you harvest, the more it will produce.

Okra provides a beautiful and dramatic touch to the landscape. It is a member of the Malvaceae family, along with cotton and hibiscus, and shares their showy, cup-shaped flowers. Some varieties will reach heights of ten feet; plant a dwarf variety that matures at three feet for easier harvesting! The burgundy varieties are especially striking, with red-veined leaves and deep-red pods pointing skyward.

As summer wanes, the decrease in daylight hours triggers a drop in pod production. Okra is an easy candidate for seed saving, and the dry pods perform double duty as ornamental centerpieces during the cold months, reminding us of next summers’ bounty.—Lia Woods