If you leave the pods on the plant for too many days, they dry out and develop an okra woody texture.
What can I do with Woody okra?
You can eat it raw or cooked, stewed, grilled, pickled, or fried. Put it in soups and stews, or season it and make a snack of it. It’s all good, and good for you, too.
What causes Woody okra?
If you leave them too long, the pods get hard and woody. Once you’re done picking okra, store them in plastic bags in your refrigerator where they will last about a week or freeze the pods if you have too much to use. Just remember that harvesting okra needs to be done often.
How do you make okra soft?
Place okra in a saucepan; add enough water to cover the okra and salt to taste; bring the water to boil. Cover the pan and cook eight to 10 minutes or until the okra is tender. Drain well and, if desired, toss with a little butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
What happens when okra gets too big?
The still soft parts will cook out into the soup or stew and add some flavor. Then you just fish out and discard the big chunks of okra before serving the soup or stew. I tend to agree with Ilene that once it is too large, it is not very edible.
How do you keep okra from getting stringy?
One popular way to reduce okra’s sliminess is to “soak it in vinegar for 30 minutes [before cooking with it], which helps to break up and dissolve the slime,” says food scientist, food industry consultant, and author Bryan Le.
Can you save Woody okra?
The pods should be brown and starting to open; at that point, remove them from the plant, slice them open and remove the seeds. All you have to do at that point is let the seeds themselves dry out – this could take a few days – then store them in airtight containers.
How do you make okra less fibrous?
Cut Larger Pieces
Lots of small cuts release more mucilage, or slime, in okra. The bigger your pieces, the less slime you’ll have.
Can you eat tough okra?
If it’s really too hard to soften even like that, you might still be able to get some use out of it as a thickener but I don’t think you’ll ever be eating it on its own. If you want to try thickening with it, I’d cut it into bigger chunks, so that you can easily fish them out once they’ve done their work.
Should okra be soft or hard?
Harvest the okra when seed pods are 1 to 2 days old and 2 to 4 inches long; these appear about 2 months after planting. This is when okra is at its softest and most digestible. Cut the stem just above the cap with a knife. If the stem is too hard to cut, the pod is probably too old and should be tossed.
What does baking soda do to okra?
Viscosity peaks at neutral to alkaline pH, Preston said, which is why exposing okra to acidic ingredients, such as vinegar or tomatoes, tones it down. Some African cooks, she said, go in the other direction, adding baking soda (which raises pH to a more alkaline level) to okra soup to augment its thickening effect.
Should okra plants be pruned?
A: You sure can! As our common okra varieties grow in summer, the top of the plant becomes too tall to reach and doesn’t produce as many pods. When they are too tall to harvest, cut your plants down to a height between 12 and 24 inches.
What happens when you overcook okra?
If overcooked, okra can become slimy and unappetizing. To prevent this from happening, a quick, oil-free saute is a delicious way to cook okra. With fresh tomatoes and herbs, this makes a lovely summer side dish.
How big should okra be when you pick it?
2-3 inches
One of the main tips that okra enthusiasts will share with new okra growers is when to harvest okra. The pods should be harvested when they are 2-3 inches in length. Bigger than this and you will find that the pods are woody and not as tender as they could be.
How long does okra last after picked?
Storage and food safety
Okra will keep for only two or three days. When ridges and tips of pods turn dark, it needs to be used immediately. Once it starts to darken, it will quickly deteriorate. To prevent cross contamination, keep okra away from raw meat and meat juices.
How do you make okra bushy?
Pruning Okra for Bushy Growth
Fortunately, okra is a very durable plant that tolerates heavy pruning and pinching to promote shorter, bushier growth. Plan to remove the top of the okra plant at least twice during the growing season.
Can you overwater okra?
Be careful not to overwater. Okra is a drought-tolerant plant that does just fine with about ½ inch (1 cm.) of water every week. If you skip a week here and there, no worries.
Can okra get too much water?
Underwatering or overwatering is bad for Okra plants
Overwatering may also lead to the same effect. Too much water can clog the soil and prevent the roots of the okra plant from accessing oxygen found in the small pockets of air in the soil.
Is okra supposed to be fibrous?
Young, immature okra (shorter than 4 inch pods) are edible raw, but once matured the vegetable becomes too tough and fibrous to eat raw and should be cooked. When cooking, steam, boil, or stir-fry. Okra combines great with other vegetables in stews.
Is okra supposed to be stringy?
Always feel the pods before purchasing–bend the pointy end. If it feels hard, the okra will be stringy/woody. If it is still flexible & supple, the okra will be tender.
How do you reduce the slime in okra?
A second trick for reducing sliminess is to soak the okra in vinegar for half an hour before cooking it. Rinse it and pat dry before cooking. Finally, you can pre-cook okra at very high heat by sautéing, roasting, blanching, or grilling. Then add cooked okra to your recipe, and there will be hardly any slime at all.