Okra

Quantity/Pack: 2 Pounds
Seasonality: Year Round
Origin: USA, Mexico

Its versatility allows for okra to be added to many different recipes. It is very popular in Creole dishes and is the base ingredient in gumbo.

Okra, also known as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a unique and widely polarizing vegetable. The flavor is a pleasant blend of eggplant and green bean. Snappy green edible pods surround rows of edible white seeds that pop pleasantly in the mouth. The seeds are surrounded by a slightly "gooey" substance that exudes when bitten or cut. One of the unique traits of okra is its ability to thicken gumbos, which many love.

You can sauté, deep-fry or simmer okra in a stew as a thickening agent. Raw okra can be pickled. Often used as a replacement for zucchini in many recipes; stuff with vegetable or meat filling and bake. Avoid cooking okra in pans made of iron, copper or brass, as their reactive properties turn the vegetable black.

Look for small pods, about two to three inches long; they will be more tender and flavorful than larger pods. Avoid okra that looks dry or dull. Refrigerate unwashed and untrimmed in a paper bag in the crisper drawer for three to five days.

This item is perishable and must ship Overnight.