![]() ![]() It is low in calories, a good source of dietary fiber, and is fat-free.The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Okra is a good source of vitamin C and A, also B complex vitamins, iron and calcium. You can't get rid of this quality by soaking or overcooking. If you object to this quality, don't eat okra. Remember, okra is slimy and sticky - it is supposed to be that way. The flavor blends well with acid foods such as tomatoes. When the pods are cut, they exude a mucilaginous (thick and sticky) juice that is an excellent thickener for stews and soups, especially Créole Gumbo. Avoid long cooking times unless you are making soups, stews or gumbo. Because of its similar flavor, it can be used in place of eggplant in many recipes. Okra can also be steamed, baked, pickled, boiled or stewed. Sauté with corn kernels, onion and sweet peppers. Very young, tender pods can be sliced, dipped in egg, breaded with corn meal and fried (a favorite here in the Southern U.S.). Mature okra is used to make rope and paper! (Avoid those old woody pods!). When preparing, remember that the more it is cut, the slimier it will become. It does not store well, so use within 2 or 3 days at most.ĭo not wash until ready to use, or it will become slimy. Store in a paper bag in the warmest part of refrigerator, as temperatures below 45 degrees can damage okra. Avoid pods that are dull and dry looking, blemished or limp. The best varieties are a rich green color. Okra comes in varying shades of green (there is also a new red variety), and can be smooth or have a ribbed surface. They must be picked about 4 to 5 days after flowering, when 4 inches or so in length, before they mature and toughen. The pods grow rapidly, being ready for harvest in about 60 days of summer weather, when grown from seed. It is available year-round, with a peak season during the summer months. Okra is a tropical plant which grows best in warm climates. It grows well in the southern United States where there is little frost.ĭue to increased interest in American regional foods, these bright green, tender pods have gained more respect as a vegetable in the U.S., aside from its use as a thickener. Okra is commonly associated in Southern, Creole, and Cajun cooking since it was initially introduced into the United States in its southern region. It is not a very common vegetable in most European countries, except for Greece and parts of Turkey. Today okra is popular in Africa, the Middle East, Greece, Turkey, India, the Caribbean, South America and the Southern U.S. ![]() In Louisiana, the Créoles learned from slaves the use of okra (gumbo) to thicken soups and it is now an essential in Créole Gumbo. in the 1700s, probably brought by slaves from West Africa, and was introduced to Western Europe soon after. The seed pods were eaten cooked, and the seeds were toasted and ground, used as a coffee substitute (and still is). Its cultivation spread throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Okra probably originated somewhere around Ethiopia, and was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians by the 12th century B.C. The pods, when cut, exude a mucilaginous juice that is used to thicken stews (see Gumbo), and have a flavor somewhat like a cross between asparagus and eggplant. These tender, unripe seed pods are used as a vegetable, and have a unique texture and sweet flavor. ![]() The seed pods are 3 - 10 inches long, tapering, usually with ribs down its length. It has heart shaped leaves (one species is cultivated for its edible leaves), and large, yellow, hibiscus-like flowers. It is a tall (6 ft) annual tropical herb cultivated for its edible green seed pod (there is also a red pod variety, which turns green when cooked). Okra is a member of the Mallow family, related to cotton, hibiscus and hollyhock. See Also: Okra, Vegetable of the Month Okra Trivia Okra Recipes The term okra was in use in English by the late 18th century. The name 'okra' probably derives from one of the Niger-Congo group of languages (the name for okra in the Twi language is ‘nkuruma’). In Spanish okra is ‘quibombo’ the French word is ‘gombo,’ ‘bamia’ or ‘bamya,’ in India it is ‘bhindi,’ and in the eastern Mediterranean and Arab countries ‘bamies’. Also known as: Lady's Fingers, gombo, gumbo, quingombo, okro, ochro, bamia, bamie, quiabo. ![]()
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