Garden Advice

All About Okra: Cultivating, Cooking, and History

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Like many long cultivated plants, okra’s origins cannot be pinpointed but many historians believe it was first cultivated in Ethiopia. Records of its cultivation in ancient Egypt date to over 3000 years ago!  In the following centuries was spread throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Okra was first brought to the Carribean and Southern United States by the slave trade sometime in the 1600s.

It’s a member of the mallow family, related to plans like hibiscus, cotton, and hollyhock. Though it does well in hot climates and will tolerate drought, okra performs best in rich, moist soil.

A resurgence of interest in local food and regional recipes has led to a renewed interest in okra. It certainly is a plant worthy of the attention.

Why Plant Okra?

  • The flowers are simply gorgeous.
  • Okra can easily be preserved for winter by making pickled okra.
  • The leaves are also edible and are often likened to beet or dandelion greens.
  • Okra seeds can be pressed and make a wonderful oil for cooking.
  • The seeds can also be roasted and ground and used as a caffeine free, coffee substitute. In the U.S. this practice was used in the south during the Civil War.
  • The plant’s stem is fibrous and can be used to make cordage or paper.
  • Okra has a rich history and important culture.
  • The pods make an excellent thickener for soups and stews, like gumbo.
  • The dried pods can be used in flower arrangements.
  • Okra can be used to make a hedge.

Growing Okra

If you’re considering growing okra do realize that it isn’t a small plant. Okra can grow up to 6 feet tall and should be grown 18 inches apart in rows 5-6 feet apart.

If you live in colder climate okra should be started indoors 2-3 weeks before your last frost date. Okra prefers rich soil but soil that’s too high in nitrogen can lead to a lot of leaf growth and little pod development.

Pods often need to be harvested frequently when they’re about 2-4 inches long before they grow too large. The pods can be picked by hand or you can use a small set of pruning shears.

For best results check out our Okra Growing Guide. You can find all of our okra varieties here.

Recipes to Try

From the greens to the seeds, pickled to fried there are a number of ways to enjoy okra. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

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Garden Advice

Seeds: Tips for Storing, Testing, & Saving

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Almost all gardeners end up with extra seed each year. Whether you saved more than you needed from your own plants, wanted a lot of variety, or simply got overzealous when all the beautiful catalogs came in the mail chances are you’ll have a bit of seed left over from year to year. No matter if you purchased the seed or saved it yourself, you don’t want it to go to waste. Many seeds can last years like this variety of squash which was revived from 800-year-old seed found in a clay jar in Wisconsin!

Germination Test

There’s a simple germination test you can do at home to ensure your seeds are still good before planting time. Simply take 10 seeds and place them, folded into a damp paper towel in a container or bag (to help hold in moisture). Set your container in a warm place. The amount of time you’ll need to leave them will, of course, depend on how long whatever type of seed your testing requires to germinate. Be sure to keep the paper towel damp. You may have to sprinkle water on it if it begins to dry out. 

The number of seeds that germinate will give you a rough idea about their germination rate and you can plant accordingly. Even if only half germinate you still use your seed just be sure to plant thickly in the case of direct seeding or multiple seeds per cell when starting indoors. If you have a lot of seed, testing more than 10 will give you a more accurate percentage. 

Tips for Storing Extra Seed

While some seed like beans, corn, and peas naturally keep longer than others like spinach, alliums, and parsnips, storing your seed properly will greatly increase its shelf life. 

  • Extra seed should ideally be kept somewhere cool (about 50°F), dark, and dry. 
  • Unless your house is extremely humid storing your seeds in the paper packets they came in should be fine. However, you can place the seeds or entire packet into mason jars to be extra safe. 
  • Mason jars are also an excellent way to store seed you’ve saved at home.
  • Label everything with the variety and date you stored or last tested your seed.
  • Organize your seeds in the fall that way they’re ready to go and you’re not left scrambling with last minute orders when you can’t find a variety you thought you had in the spring.

Saving Seed at Home

If you’re planning on saving your own seed this year be sure that you’re processing it properly if you want it to last. Here are a few of our resources for those looking to become more knowledgeable about saving seed at home.

Even if you don’t have the time or desire to save your own seeds learning to properly care for your purchased seeds can save you time and money each year. 

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Garden Advice

Eat Your Beets: Fudgy Chocolate Beet Brownies

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Sure beets are delicious on their own, but baking can be a great winter substitute for gardening. When the winter blues have set in and there’s no way you can get out in the garden to do much in this weather, baking up some chocolatey goodness might be the next best thing. These brownies are great because you can use some of last year’s harvest and claim that they’re sort of healthy. They do have vegetables in them!

Brownies

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup cooked, pureed beets
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

To make the brownies whisk together all of the dry ingredients and then stir in the beets and oil. Pour batter into a well-greased 8×8 baking pan.

Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before icing.

Icing

Icing may not be required for brownies but look at how pink and cheerful it is! Let’s not worry about any healthy eating new years resolutions yet and smother these in frosting. At least it’s naturally dyed!

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 TBS beet juice

To make pink icing squeeze a bit of beet juice out of the puree and add a tablespoon at a time to your powdered sugar until you the icing is spreadable but not runny. Spread evenly over brownies once cooled.

Enjoy! My favorite thing is to have them with a cup of coffee or tea on a cold day. This might also be a great recipe to keep around for Valentine’s Day.

Saving the Past for the Future