Okra Basics

• Okra is a native of Africa, and over the centuries has become widely distributed throughout the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. It grows prolifically in warm climates with lots of sunshine, producing beautiful but short-lived flowers and large quantities of its edible seed pods. The oldest cultivars are covered with fine hairs that can cause skin irritation, so gardeners usually wear gloves and long sleeves while harvesting the pods. "Spineless" varieties are bred without these hairs. Pods are best after two to three days of growth, then toughen as they grow larger. A few hybrids remain tender at up to seven inches in length, but most do not.

Large but Tender Pods

• To test whether your oversized okra is still tender, bend the thin blossom end of a pod. If it breaks easily, the okra is still tender. If it bends or crumples without snapping, it's become woody. Large, but tender pods can be used in most okra recipes, allowing fewer pods per person. Steam them, use them in soups and casseroles, or fry them with a light coating of flour, cornmeal or breadcrumbs. Alternatively, take advantage of their unusual size and stuff the okra with a grain- or meat-based filling and then bake them in sauce. Indian cooks make a slit in their okra and stuff them with spices, then pan-fry them for a richly flavored side dish.

Tough, Woody Pods

• If your pods fail the "woodiness" test but are still fresh and green, you can still use them in some dishes, such as long-cooking soups and stews. Cut the pods crosswise into rings and simmer them for an hour or two until the flavors and textures of your soup are fully developed. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove a few pieces of okra, and taste them. If they've softened enough to be edible, serve the soup as it is. If they're chewy and unpleasant, remove the remaining rings with your slotted spoon. The soup will retain the flavor and body of the okra, even though the vegetable itself has been removed.

Okra Seeds

• Okra pods are seed pods, just like green beans, and like beans their seeds can be eaten separately. Slice open one of your oversized okra pods and test the seeds by pressing one with your thumbnail. If the seeds are hard, dry them and save them for next year's garden. If they're still tender they can be eaten like peas, either steamed or added to soups and stir-fries. Alternatively you can roast the pods whole, then shell out the cooked seeds for use in other dishes.