While growing up, my dad would plant a garden every year. Once of the items he planted was okra. We would have fresh okra to cook all summer. There were two ways my mom would cook the fresh okra. One was to fry the okra. The other way was to boil it.
I like either way fresh okra is cooked. I didn’t know of any other ways to cook it until after I married my husband. He had fixed his version of gumbo one evening while I was at work. He had cut the okra into large chunks and added the okra to the gumbo. Outside of the two ways I had previously mentioned, I hadn’t tried fresh okra in any other dishes.
It wasn’t until I started working in a grocery store that I had seen pickled okra. I haven’t tried pickling okra, but it may be another for me to cook fresh okra. I may have to try this sometime. I know it won’t be fresh okra once it becomes pickled, but it is an option for cooking fresh okra if you are a gardener who grows it during the summer.
I know okra can be bought in the freezer section and canned, but okra that way isn’t the same has having it fresh. The frozen okra covered in a cornmeal or flour coating in the freezer section is okay during the winter months when it is hard to find fresh okra when I have a craving for it.
Since moving to Kansas, I have planted okra once in the twenty some years I have lived here. I normally buy fresh okra from the local produce west of where I live in Kansas. Occasionally, I will buy it at a grocery store like Dillon’s or Wal-Mart.
Since I am thinking of using part of my yard as a vegetable garden, I will plant okra when I decide to make the garden in my yard. This probably won’t be until next year since I haven’t decided on how large of a vegetable garden I want to plant this year. I have a small vegetable garden this year that has green peas, green beans, onions, and tomatoes.
Since I mentioned tomatoes in the last paragraph, I like to have sliced tomatoes when I fry the fresh okra. The two tastes together is delicious. I also fix meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and serve cottage cheese with the fresh fried okra and sliced tomatoes.
Sometimes I will boil or fry some okra and eat it as a snack. While it may sound odd to eat cooked fresh okra as a snack, it is a snack that can fill you up depending on how much is cooked.
How to Cook Fresh Okra
There are two ways I cook fresh okra when I cant find it. These are the two ways I cook fresh okra.
Ingredients for Fried Okra
1 cup white cornmeal – not self rising
Salt and black pepper enough to season
1 pound whole fresh okra (approximately)
Directions
Oil – enough to cover the bottom of the skillet
Wash or rinse the fresh okra. Don’t dry before cutting.
Slice the fresh okra about 1/4 in thickness in a container that has a lid. Put oil in skillet and heat.
Add the dry ingredients. Place lid on container and shake until thoroughly coated. Once the oil is heated, place okra into skillet. I don’t pour it in because of excess cornmeal.
Place lid on skill and fry okra; turning occasionally for about 20 minutes or until tender.
Serves 4 to 5 people depending on serving portions.
How to Cook Boiled Whole Fresh Okra
Since I am the only one who eats boiled okra in my home, I make enough just for me which usually is about six to eight pods. Some people may add vinegar or bacon grease to the okra during boiling process.
Ingredients for Boiled Whole Fresh Okra
Water
Salt and pepper
Directions
Rinse or wash the fresh okra. Put it in a sauce pan and cover with water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boil the okra for about 10 minutes or until fork tender.
Here is another version of How to Boil Okra. This version has the vinegar and bacon drippings added.
