- Location
- North Texas
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
So as I was adding in the last few items to the garden database, all okra, I started thinking about just how much okra my family consumes in a year. Then it got me to thinking, are we weird or does everyone use okra as much as we do? If it's everyone, okra is one of the most versatile veggies on the planet! Anyways, I thought I'd share all the ways I use okra.
A LOT of the okra we eat is battered and fried. We use a simple batter, usually just a little flour and cornmeal, seasoned to perfection. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and tastes amazing! The only downside, for me, is that the taste of the actual okra is a bit diminished when it's battered and fried. We try to batter ours light, but when the okra is cut into little bit sized morsels it's tough to manage that batter to veggie ratio. Sure, we could cut it into longer pieces, or cut is long-ways, but then the boys wouldn't wanna eat it so we just gotta do what we can.
If I couldn't fry okra anymore, there's no telling how much pickled okra I'd put up every year! I love it! I could sit down and eat a whole jar of this every day for lunch and be a happy camper! Ok, maybe I wouldn't want it every single day, but you get my point. I love it! If give the choice between a straight up pickle, or some pickled okra, even using the same recipe, I'm going with the okra every time and I'm eating the button and all y'all!
I don't actually put it in a lot of soups, but we do put a (probably over-the-top) large amount in our gumbo. There's not much better on a cold winter day (much like today, and I'm getting that gumbo craving just typing this) than a good ol' warm bowl of homemade gumbo! I'm not talking about that Zataran stuff you just add chicken and water too, either. I'm talking about that homemade y'all! Throw in a handful (or 5) of home-grown okra and ooooohh son!
I just started doing this after watching a video on YouTube a few years ago, and I'm a bit upset I didn't know about it sooner! Heat up some oil in a skillet (I use a cast iron), throw in that fresh okra and sautee it until all that slime is gone. Season it up, and keep sautéing it until you start to get some nice little brown bits on the edges. I usually just season with some garlic salt and black pepper. That's all it needs. Let that okra taste shine.
Admittedly, this won't be for everyone. Outside of sautéed, though, this might be the best way to eat okra if you just want to taste the okra. A little salt and pepper, into a pot with a little water, and some time later and you've got yourself a pretty good side dish! Keep in mind, though, that doing it this way the okra will still be super slimy. So if you have a problem with slimy foods, I'd definitely steer clear of this one!
I'll be honest, I've never done this, but there's a first time for everything! Also, if it's good enough for the Pioneer Woman (one of my wife and I's favorites) it's probably good enough for me too! She says to cut that button off, slice them long-ways, throw on some salt and maybe a little black pepper and dig in! I'll let y'all know the verdict on this here about 4-5 months but I can all but guarantee it'll be a dang way to get even more okra down the hatch!
That's it! That's most of the ways we eat our okra around here. Like I said, it's one of our favorite veggies, which is why we plan on planting 3 rows this year instead of the 2 from last year. We just didn't have enough! Heck, it may be 4 rows of okra next year! Either way, we're sure to have a good crop of okra every year around here, if we don't make anything else!
How are y'all using your okra? Got any new ways I didn't mention here to try? I'm up for (almost) anything!
Fried
A LOT of the okra we eat is battered and fried. We use a simple batter, usually just a little flour and cornmeal, seasoned to perfection. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and tastes amazing! The only downside, for me, is that the taste of the actual okra is a bit diminished when it's battered and fried. We try to batter ours light, but when the okra is cut into little bit sized morsels it's tough to manage that batter to veggie ratio. Sure, we could cut it into longer pieces, or cut is long-ways, but then the boys wouldn't wanna eat it so we just gotta do what we can.
Pickled
If I couldn't fry okra anymore, there's no telling how much pickled okra I'd put up every year! I love it! I could sit down and eat a whole jar of this every day for lunch and be a happy camper! Ok, maybe I wouldn't want it every single day, but you get my point. I love it! If give the choice between a straight up pickle, or some pickled okra, even using the same recipe, I'm going with the okra every time and I'm eating the button and all y'all!
In soups and gumbos
I don't actually put it in a lot of soups, but we do put a (probably over-the-top) large amount in our gumbo. There's not much better on a cold winter day (much like today, and I'm getting that gumbo craving just typing this) than a good ol' warm bowl of homemade gumbo! I'm not talking about that Zataran stuff you just add chicken and water too, either. I'm talking about that homemade y'all! Throw in a handful (or 5) of home-grown okra and ooooohh son!
Sautéed
I just started doing this after watching a video on YouTube a few years ago, and I'm a bit upset I didn't know about it sooner! Heat up some oil in a skillet (I use a cast iron), throw in that fresh okra and sautee it until all that slime is gone. Season it up, and keep sautéing it until you start to get some nice little brown bits on the edges. I usually just season with some garlic salt and black pepper. That's all it needs. Let that okra taste shine.
Boiled
Admittedly, this won't be for everyone. Outside of sautéed, though, this might be the best way to eat okra if you just want to taste the okra. A little salt and pepper, into a pot with a little water, and some time later and you've got yourself a pretty good side dish! Keep in mind, though, that doing it this way the okra will still be super slimy. So if you have a problem with slimy foods, I'd definitely steer clear of this one!
Garden fresh
I'll be honest, I've never done this, but there's a first time for everything! Also, if it's good enough for the Pioneer Woman (one of my wife and I's favorites) it's probably good enough for me too! She says to cut that button off, slice them long-ways, throw on some salt and maybe a little black pepper and dig in! I'll let y'all know the verdict on this here about 4-5 months but I can all but guarantee it'll be a dang way to get even more okra down the hatch!
That's it! That's most of the ways we eat our okra around here. Like I said, it's one of our favorite veggies, which is why we plan on planting 3 rows this year instead of the 2 from last year. We just didn't have enough! Heck, it may be 4 rows of okra next year! Either way, we're sure to have a good crop of okra every year around here, if we don't make anything else!
How are y'all using your okra? Got any new ways I didn't mention here to try? I'm up for (almost) anything!
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...oh and Okra and tomatoes stewed but I guess that's the same as soups
