Okra

Okra is a Southern garden classic, tender when picked young and perfect fried, stewed, or in gumbo. We grow ours without synthetic pesticides in Lineville, Alabama and pick at peak ripeness. It's high in fiber and vitamins A and C. Sold fresh through local Alabama delivery, farm pickup, and our farmers-market stand.

• Grown in: Lineville, Alabama (no synthetic pesticides)
• Freshness: Harvested at peak and sold fresh
• Availability: Seasonal - local Alabama delivery & pickup
• Storage: Refrigerate and enjoy fresh
• Why it's good: Nutrient-dense and picked at peak freshness

• Storage: Dry in a paper bag in the crisper - moisture is what makes it slimy and black
• Shelf life: 2 to 3 days, and it goes downhill fast after that
• Washing: Wash and dry it completely before storing or cutting. Wet okra is slippery okra.
• Using: To avoid slime: keep it whole, or cook it hot and dry - fried, grilled, roasted, or seared until it chars. To use the slime as a thickener, which is the point in gumbo, cut it and let it stew.

How do I stop it going slimy?
Control moisture and heat. The mucilage releases when cut okra meets liquid at moderate temperature, so dry the pods completely, cook them whole if you can, and use high dry heat. Acid - tomato, vinegar, lemon - also cuts it.

When is a pod too big?
Over about four inches it turns woody and fibrous no matter how you cook it. Small and tender is the whole game with okra, which is why it is picked every day or two in season.

Why do the pods go black at the edges?
Bruising and cold. Okra is tropical and marks easily where it is handled or chilled too hard. Dark edges are cosmetic at first, but they are the start of the decline - use those pods first.