I understand this is best when picked "young". Could someone PLEASE translate that into dumbell English?
Hill Country Okra
You want to pick it when the pods are still soft enough to cut. Okra get too tough to even stick a knife in when it gets too big. I don't know the type you have but I'd cut the largest and test with a knife. It grows real fast here but you may be safe to wait until tomorrow on the smallest. lol
Yesterday. Seriously I am not familiar with that cultivar, but its looks plenty big to pick. Okra gets tough quickly, if you can't cut with your thumbnail it is too old. And most cultivars will do that in about 2 days.
I agree... ONLY one more day at the latest!!!
LarryD
These are Hill Country Red. I learned my lesson last year when I let my Longhorns get long! Egad - I couldn't even cut into them to get the seeds out. The Red Burgundy is perfect at 7-8", but this one is way fatter, so I'm wondering if it should be short and stocky. The 2 bigger ones are about 3.5" tall and about 1.5" wide.
Hopefully someone will have it it before so they can help me out! I have 2 nice Red Burgundy that would be happy to have some buddys to cook with!
Oops! I missed the last 2 comments. I'm thinking I will dash out there and pluck them for tonight's dinner.
How ya doing in the garden, Larry?
Good, SEQ.... lotsa rain here in SE PA and experiencing some splitting of BIG 'mater specimens. Taste has been good...just wondering if it's perhaps little "diluted" by excess moisture which we've had? Had my very first Aunt Gerties Gold tonite for supper... great taste & good texture!! Polish yesterday--- wonderfully lucious tomato flavor---a real winner!!
GOOD luck with your okra ( or, "okry", as all my folks in OK call it). They slice it, salt & pepper, roll it in cornmeal & pan fry... gooood....
LarryD
My boss just came back from RI with a bunch of fresh sea bass, so I'm thinking a Cajum bass with stewed tomatoes and okra sounds just right.
Your garden sounds great. I'm still in the hurry up and wait stage! I know they are all going to ripen at once and I'm going to be knee deep in ripe tomatoes! I just hope it's not still in high 90's by then or I'll be stewing along with my tomatoes!
Thanks everyone for your advice!
Sequee: we need the picture of Hill Country Red in the plantfiles, along with your comments on it.
Sequee,
I grew up in South Louisiana and in the very hottest part of the summer the only vegetables that grew locally were tomatoes, which were finishing out their season, okra, eggplant, and bell peppers. During that time we made okra and tomatoes, among other things. We sauteed some chopped onion and garlic, added okra cut into pieces, 1/2 inch lengthwise, and then some chopped tomatoes -- a couple, either fresh or canned. Stew them together until okra is tender then yum! It is a dish I will never forget. It is easy to make and addictive to eat. Okra is great for gumbo (see recipes forum) as well, and is very tasty fried. Still the dish I dream about is okra and tomatoes.