- Zone
- 7b/8a
So, as I was sitting here thinking about my 2026 garden plan, and I realized something: my family plants a TON of okra! I started thinking about just how much of this stuff my family actually consumes in a year. It got me to thinking: are we weird, or does everyone eat okra as much as we do?
In my book, it's one of the most versatile veggies on the planet! I thought I’d share the ways we get it down the hatch around here.
1. Fried: A HUGE amount of what we eat is battered and fried. We use a simple batter—usually just a little flour and cornmeal, seasoned up. It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
3. In Soups and Gumbos: We put a (probably over-the-top) large amount in our gumbo. There’s not much better on a cold winter day, much like today actually (and I’m getting a craving just typing this), than a warm bowl of homemade gumbo. I’m not talking about that Zatarain's box stuff, either. I’m talking about the homemade, y'all! Throw in five handfuls of home-grown okra and ooooohh son!
4. Sauteed: I started doing this after seeing a video a few years ago and I’m upset I didn't know about it sooner! I use a cast iron skillet, heat up some oil, and saute that fresh okra until all that slime is gone. I just season with garlic salt and black pepper...that's all it needs to let the okra taste shine.
5. Boiled: Admittedly, this won’t be for everyone. If you have a problem with slimy foods, definitely steer clear of this one! But if you just want to taste the okra itself, a little salt and pepper in a pot of water is a great side dish.
6. Garden Fresh: I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually eaten it raw, but there’s a first time for everything! If it’s good enough for the Pioneer Woman, it’s probably good enough for me, too. She says to slice them long-ways, add salt and pepper, and dig in. I’ll let y’all know the verdict as soon as we start harvesting okra this year, but I can almost guarantee it’ll be a dang good way to get more okra down the hatch!
We’re planning on 3 rows this year (up from 2 last year), but heck, it might end up being 4. We just can't seem to get enough of it.
How are y'all using your okra? Got any new ways I didn't mention here to try? I'm up for (almost) anything!
In my book, it's one of the most versatile veggies on the planet! I thought I’d share the ways we get it down the hatch around here.
1. Fried: A HUGE amount of what we eat is battered and fried. We use a simple batter—usually just a little flour and cornmeal, seasoned up. It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- The Struggle: I'll be honest, the batter can sometimes hide the actual taste of the okra. We try to keep it light, but when you're cutting it into bite-sized morsels, that batter-to-veggie ratio is tough to manage. I've thought about cutting them long-ways to fix that, but then the boys wouldn't want to eat it, so we just do what we gotta do!
3. In Soups and Gumbos: We put a (probably over-the-top) large amount in our gumbo. There’s not much better on a cold winter day, much like today actually (and I’m getting a craving just typing this), than a warm bowl of homemade gumbo. I’m not talking about that Zatarain's box stuff, either. I’m talking about the homemade, y'all! Throw in five handfuls of home-grown okra and ooooohh son!
4. Sauteed: I started doing this after seeing a video a few years ago and I’m upset I didn't know about it sooner! I use a cast iron skillet, heat up some oil, and saute that fresh okra until all that slime is gone. I just season with garlic salt and black pepper...that's all it needs to let the okra taste shine.
5. Boiled: Admittedly, this won’t be for everyone. If you have a problem with slimy foods, definitely steer clear of this one! But if you just want to taste the okra itself, a little salt and pepper in a pot of water is a great side dish.
6. Garden Fresh: I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually eaten it raw, but there’s a first time for everything! If it’s good enough for the Pioneer Woman, it’s probably good enough for me, too. She says to slice them long-ways, add salt and pepper, and dig in. I’ll let y’all know the verdict as soon as we start harvesting okra this year, but I can almost guarantee it’ll be a dang good way to get more okra down the hatch!
We’re planning on 3 rows this year (up from 2 last year), but heck, it might end up being 4. We just can't seem to get enough of it.
How are y'all using your okra? Got any new ways I didn't mention here to try? I'm up for (almost) anything!