Okra?? What do you do with it and grow it?

My mother wanted Okra to grow this year...
There were a ba~zillion seeds in the package,
said to plant 5" apart.....

Now, If I plant one plant will it produce a ba~zillion fruits on it (like I plant 6 Jalapeno plants, and get waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than I needed)
I planted 16 Okra plants????
and more are still in the package????

What will that come out in prodcut?????

And whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat do I do with it???

Maybe you can answer it here, or I'll post a post about Okra recipes in the Recipe Section and put a link back to here...???
(I'm off to help my mom right now, be back!)

Weezie

And can they grow in pots if I were to give them to the senior center for them to have on their patio's?????

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

Cindy,
Whaddya mean

quote:

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SLIMEY

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????

I've only eaten okra in Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup, I think!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm this should be very interesting!

Weezie

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

During the summer okra is a daily side dish to our meal. Cut into 1/2" rounds and dredged into flour/corn meal and fried until outside is crisp.
The pods will start out under the flower and continue to grow. We harvest/cut our okra at about 3-4" long. Any longer than that and they become tough and stringy. Cutting it usually every morning as they start to produce and we get about 4-5 pods per plant daily, seems like a lot but it does cook down when fried. It's also good stewed with tomatoes
16 plants will produce a good bit for small family and fresh cut can be stored in your fridge, salad crisper for a few days. Okra can also be frozen.
I'm sitting here looking out my window at my okra.......I can't wait!!!

quote:

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Never cook it in iron, copper or brass utensils, or it will turn a grayish hue. Harmless, but looks awful. You'll just have to cook some fresh okra to appreciate what I'm calling "SLIMEY"!!!

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All we ever use is cast iron and never get the grayish hue

quote:

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Bert Greene must be using some new, improved iron!

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Must have been...lol
Yeah okra is a favorite with me..that and crook neck squash

The spring chicken will have to give you the growing info. I guess my old age is showing when I can't remember much about growing it, but can sure remember eating it! (Selective memory?)

And don't get me started on SQUASH!
My God...okra and squash!
Heaven on earth!

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Buckle up! It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car!

Duckie,
Thanks for the info....
I personally LOVE Bees'!!

My oldest has a knack of getting bit but
I will keep him right away from there.
Glad you alerted me to that!!!
I am also now looking forward to seeing the flowers!!!
I love Hibiscus's!!! I have several!

What's the reason you have to cut them every day??
No slackin' on the pickin'?????????

I'm now hopin' the senior's like okra!!
I will be sending lot's to them, we love sending
the tomatoes, so I'm glad to hear it's a prolific producer.....

Are all of you going to go to the recipe section
and put some OKRA RECIPES???

Weezie

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

Duckie,
My mom deliver's for the M~o~W's program, and
her and my father always had a huge garden and canned and froze everything.....but those days are gone..... buttttttttttt,
Now we love to garden and she takes the goodie
bag with her when she deliver's *especially to
this one complex that has something like 30 residents, and she says on the days that she delivers, they are out there waiting for her,
(well, their lunches too) but they all get to talking about their gardens they had and what they grew and trade growing secrets and my mom
get's the biggest kick out of it, and makes her feel good, she can't take care of them but at least for a short period of time they can have a fresh from the garden tomato or zucchini, and (now okra) and some good memories.
And now with my greenhouse I can start a whole bunch at nary a cost to us, and SO MUCH JOY and fun...(we like to grow several varieties of tomatoes and can't choose which one to stop growing, so we don't, and just give away the extra.)

Plus we end up giving alot away to the volunteer's that deliver for M~o~W's.....
(hey, it's always nice to get a goodie or two when
you take the time to volunteer)

I am after my husband to make a little stand for my boys to "hauk" some fresh veggie's on the side walk, my oldest loves to yell, "Fresh Zucchini, Get your frest Zucchini here!!" It is so cute.
And good business experience....
(I end up giving aloooooooot to the neighbors too, but hey if he makes a couple of quarter's he's exstatic!!!)

Anyways, I would love to have a few more gardener's do the same, adopt a senior resident or just one senior neighbor and drop off some extra veggies'!!!

Would do wonder's for sooo many.....

Thanks for letting me yak about it!!!
Always a GOOD CAUSE, heck, we all might be
in a place like that, someday.
(welllllll, many, many, many days from now!!)

Weezie

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

Well said,Weezie.Many kids,mine too,don't see their grandma's for months at a time.It has been so enriching for my girls and me to visit seniors' homes.They have so much wisdom and information to share.
But again,you,you,please post a topic about what we should all do with our extras.Your good,I can't type worth a cowpie.

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Ok, OKRA, I know! I see you live in N.Y. so wait till a week after your last frost date,okra seeds do not germinate well in cool soils, .Sow seeds 1 inch deep in hills 12 to 24 inches apart. wait till they are up about 3-4 inches and then thin all but the one strongest plant per hill. The seeds may be soaked, wrapped in moist paper toweling or in water overnight, to Speed-up germination.The pods should be picked (usually cut) while they are tender and immature (2 to 3 inches long for most varieties). They must be picked often—at least every other day. Okra plants have short hairs that may irritate bare skin.Make clean cuts that do not harm the rest of the plant. When the stem is difficult to cut, the pod is probably too old to use. The large overmature pods should be removed and composted. Geez, sometimes I gotta do the M.G. Gig! Now for some interesting facts:
Gumbo is Swahili for okra.
Okra was brought to the new world by African slaves
Has a beautiful (hibiscus) Flower
Now I could leave this be it...BUT I posted a fave Okra recipe , So Check it out