OKRA II
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Abelmoschus esculentus
FAMILY: Malvaceae
OKRA, which is sometimes referred to as "Lady finger" is generally found in Asian countries such as India, China, Japan and South East Asian countries. It is also regarded as a delicacy in Greece and other Middle Eastern countries.
DESCRIPTION
Okra belongs to the hibiscus family. A brief look at its flowers will show how similar to the hibiscus it is. The flowers are very similar to the rosella as well. The tree looks more like a shrub than a vegetable and the plants can grow up to 15 ft in height. The stems are from 1 inch to 2 inches in thickness depending on how healthy the plant is. The edible part of the pod is 5" to 6" long and about an inch in diameter, with 5 to 8 raised edges or spines running from the stem end and finishing in a sharp pointed end. It can be dark green, light green, shades of red and deep red in colour. The trees also have shades of colour of the pods and the leaves and veins follow the same colour pattern.
CULTIVATION
Okra is one of the easiest vegetables to grow. As well, it is one of the longest-bearing seasonal vegetables. Planting is generally done in very late August or early September. Although it is a summer vegetable, it is very important to have this vegetable established before the summer temperature gets too hot. So sowing in late August or early September is ideal.
The soil must be fairly friable, rich and with plenty of mulch and vegetable matter. The seeds are planted in rows one inch deep, approximately 18 inches between each seed, and the rows should be 2 feet apart. As the trees grow tall, a wind break is always helpful. The seeds germinate within 7 days.
Regular watering and bean fly spray once a week for the first 4 - 6 weeks is recommended. When about 14 days old, a side-dressing of blood and bone (not too close to the roots) is very helpful for quick growth. The most important single thing to do with okra plants is to make them grow very vigorously in the first 6 weeks of their lives. This is because the bearing life of the plant is directly proportional to the health and the vigour of the plant in the first 6 weeks of its life from germination. A stunted plant may only bear for four weeks, whereas a vigorous plant may bear up to seven months.
When the plants are 6 inches high, it is important to put some rotting mulch along the rows. This, besides providing fertilizer to the plant also provides shade for the soil so it does not get hot and kill the plant.
In 8 - 10 weeks, a circle of lower buds begin to appear on top of the plant. This is the first sign of flowers. Within the next 2 weeks the plant grows bigger, more leaves come out and a flower appears on the upper junction of each leaf stem. Within a few days the flower blooms (yellow), and the next day a small, green, blunt pod appears. This is okra, and within 3 - 4 days it reaches its full size of 4 to 6 inches.
It can be eaten from 2 inches to 6 inches while it is soft. If you leave the okra pod longer than 4 to 5 days it becomes woody and hard and not edible.
The beauty of okra as a vegetable is that the plant starts to bear when it is barely 18 inches high in late October-early November, and it can continue to bear until early to late April , so, from 4 to 6 trees for an average family, you can pick vegetable for 6 to 7 months of the year. So it is of utmost importance to have a rich, well-drained soil with plenty of mulch, and the plants should be well-watered and fertilized, especially in the early growing period.
PESTS AND DISEASES
1. Bean fly in the first 4 - 6 weeks after germination - bean fly spray.
2. Grasshoppers chew the leaves - pyrethrin spray.
3. Moths lay their eggs in leaves and inject pods - Pyrethrin.
4. Borers sometimes active in stem.
5. Aphids are present but do not affect it seriously.
PICKING AND PREPARATION
The pods are cut away from the plants from the small stalks at the base of the pod - the two ends of the pods are then removed and discarded. The okra is cut in rings about a third of an inch thick. You will notice that the vegetable is slightly sticky to touch. If you wish to eliminate this stickiness you can place the pods out in the sun for 2 hours.
See the recipe for Fried Okra in the Recipe Section.
HOW TO EAT IT
We generally eat it with our flat bread or roti (similar to Greek Pita Bread). You can wrap it in a roll and enjoy it. You can also eat it in sandwiches as long as the bread is not too dry.
There are other methods of cooking okra such as boiling, steaming and frying with batter, but this stage I do not want to confuse you - so one method at a time. I hope that you will enjoy your ROTI and OKRA dish.
DATE: May 1991
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