Okra can be used lots of ways. You can saturate it with egg and cornmeal and then fry until crispy. You can roast, pickle or stuff into spicy poblano peppers. I’ve heard it is delicious in Gumbo, and for those who like the simple things, simply sprinkle raw okra with salt and enjoy.
Fresh okra should feel firm but not hard. Look for bright green pods with unblemished skin. A little browning on the stem shouldn’t be a concern, although the greener it is, the fresher the okra. Shoppers are not clamoring over each other to get to okra in the produce section, so it is typically easy to find and most available May-September when it’s in season. Okra can be stored in your refrigerator’s produce compartment in a paper bag for up to four days. You can also wrap it loosely in plastic. When you’re ready to prepare it for cooking, remove it from the fridge and bring it up to room temperature first. This will reduce the amount of moisture released from cooking.
There are many varieties of okra, with names like Clemson Spineless, Annie Oakley, Baby Bubba Hybrid, Cajun Delight, Louisiana Green Velvet and more. The green okra is the most common form found in the U.S. with pods that can look fuzzy or smooth, long, or short, pointed or rounded, and depending on the variety, plants that grow three to eight feet tall. You may even come across purple okra, which should look as fresh as the green variety when selecting it at the market.
Tomatoes and Okra
4-6 Servings
126 Calories per Serving
Ingredients:
3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes; NOT drained (see note below to use fresh tomatoes instead)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
1 dried bay leaf
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen okra, stems trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook bacon until the bacon is starting to get crispy and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the onion and garlic; sauté for 5 more minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes (with their juices), sugar, thyme, bay leaf, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Use the juices from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
4. Add the okra, cover with a lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the okra is tender (about 10-12 minutes for fresh okra or 7-8 minutes for frozen okra).
5. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Recipe taken from www.theseasonedmom.com
Okra Patties
Makes 6 Servings
226 Calories per Serving
Ingredients:
1 egg
½ cup all-purpose baking powder
½ cup cornmeal
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 lb. pound okra, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup water
Directions:
1. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the okra, onion, salt, pepper, water and egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and cornmeal; and stir that into okra mixture.
3. Carefully drop spoonful’s of the okra batter into the hot oil, and fry on each side until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Interested in nutrition education lessons with OSU Extension EFNEP? Contact Nancy Lyons at lyons.489@osu.edu.
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