Okra 2017
 

I was recently going through my okra photo file and was amazed at the number of varieties I have photographed through the years. Equally amazing is how few of them are still readily available.

This years' crop includes the following-Aunt Hettie's Red, Candle Fire, Jambalya, Sparkler, Lady Finger, Bill's Thick and Bill's Skinny. They're all good and the red ones turn greenish brown when cooked. I tried some as refrigerator pickles this year and haven't tasted them yet (the red sloughed off leaving some mostly white), but mostly we eat our okra fried. It's cut in I/2 to 3/4 inch pieces (smaller pieces get overwhelmed by the Seasoned Fish Fry corn meal breading) with diced tomato (it gets breaded too and it brings some tomato zing to the table). We crack an egg in the bowl and stir it thoroughly with the okra/tomato, then a handful at a time we shake it up in a plastic bag with the breading-trying to leave it somewhat separated and then spread it out on a plate. Hot peanut oil in a fry pan is waiting by the time we get it breaded...then it's cooked golden brown in batches. Deep frying is fine but we have a difficult time making use of the oil so we just go with about 1/4 inch of oil in a regular fry pan. This requires a little more turning but the end product is still delicious--especially with a little shake of Creole Seasoning salt. Sometimes we eat the first batches before we get to the table.

Yummy!

That is very nice, Bill.
I like them red ones a lot.

Lovely idea to add those tomatoes :yes:

I just sliced up a bunch of okra this evening and put it in the dehydrator; we'll see how that goes ;)

Those are some neat sounding varieties, too!

Candle Fire is a new AAS variety billed as not being ribbed. As it matures it does have slight ribs and there's some color breaking in the pods. Aunt Hettie's from Victory Seeds is an intense red and I think I like it better, so far. I've crossed each with my Bill's Thick I also hope to cross each with Bill's Skinny. I might also cross the two reds. Then I'll have to find some new ground to plant them on.

I pulled some and cut back my okra plants. I think in the dog days of summer the fruits got too big and tough too fast. I am hoping to have some tender ones from the new growth in fall.
Hopefully.

[QUOTE=Gardeneer;662033]I pulled some and cut back my okra plants. I think in the dog days of summer the fruits got too big and tough too fast. I am hoping to have some tender ones from the new growth in fall.
Hopefully.[/QUOTE]

I haven't had that problem.
But they are on drip plus I extra water when I can.

[QUOTE=Worth1;662086]I haven't had that problem.
But they are on drip plus I extra water when I can.[/QUOTE]

Maybe, I did not water them enough.
Now I see some okra on the new growth from the plants that i cut back.
The plant themselves look lush green and healthy.

Down the road from us, there is a guy that has like 1/4 acre under okra. Not a single tomato or pepper. I think he pulled his beans. But his okra plants are much smaller than mine used to be and they look so skinny and pale. If his plants produce just about average, he should be be picking a bucket full every day. I just wonder what he does with all that okra. :no:

[QUOTE=Gardeneer;662033]I pulled some and cut back my okra plants. I think in the dog days of summer the fruits got too big and tough too fast. I am hoping to have some tender ones from the new growth in fall.
Hopefully.[/QUOTE]

UPDATE:
My okras doing great. I do harvest few every other day. The plants look happier now than they did in the dog days of summer , and they don't need as much watering either.
Also they don't get woody as fast. And the plants are staying short too.

Mama Payton's okra is another one that has produced since my original photo. I had trouble getting it established but it is rather distinctive with the darker green ribs. It's also a big plant with lots of branching-should be good for market growing (from Victory Seeds). Listed as an heirloom from Trion, GA

Hurricane took mine down all but one huge tree like thing.
Will be collecting seeds from it for sure.

[QUOTE=Gardeneer;665787]UPDATE:
My okras doing great. I do harvest few every other day. The plants look happier now than they did in the dog days of summer , and they don't need as much watering either.
Also they don't get woody as fast. And the plants are staying short too.[/QUOTE]

An old neighbor of mine, who has since gone to that Great Garden, used to say that "when okra gets stubborn, ya gotta whip it." And he actually meant to take a switch and smack the plants a few times! He swore it worked. I'm thinking it might have stressed his plants enough that they decided they'd better get busy and start trying to reproduce!

Glad you got yours going again!