# Cooking Cajun Delight Okra



## sotx23 (May 4, 2010)

Harvested some of our okra today.... Drizzles some olive oil on them, and some Tony's and baked them at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Extremely stringy, almost couldn't even cut it with a knife. They were 3"-4.25" long. 

Any idea why they were so tough/hard?


----------



## MissingSTexas (Oct 3, 2007)

Never tried cooking them that way. My Grandmother always told me the secret to cooking Okra was acid. She used tomatoes in her smothered okra and a little lemon on her fried okra.


----------



## fangard (Apr 18, 2008)

Size sounds right. Not sure why you had so much trouble. Did you wait a while after picking before roasting? Maybe they dried out.

Okra grows so dang fast. Turn your back for a minute and you end up with a too long paperweight.

Next year I am going to plant the Cow Horn variety. They say it is much more forgiving from a harvest standpoint if it gets bigger.


----------



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Normally I can go by size to determine the tenderness of the okra pod, but this year noticed many that were in the right size range that were simply too stringy and tough. 

The sooner you harvest them the better. I prefer to cut mine within just a couple days of the bloom but that's not always possible.


----------



## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

We've eaten ours raw and fried of course, try picking them at 2-3 inches and see how those are.


----------



## whistech (Jul 25, 2005)

Sotx23, where did you find your Cajun Delight okra seeds? I am looking for that variety to add to my garden next spring and haven't been able to find a supplier.


----------



## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

whistech said:


> Sotx23, where did you find your Cajun Delight okra seeds? I am looking for that variety to add to my garden next spring and haven't been able to find a supplier.


Try stewarts zeebest for one of the most tender okra out there

Www.rareseed.com


----------



## sotx23 (May 4, 2010)

whistech said:


> Sotx23, where did you find your Cajun Delight okra seeds? I am looking for that variety to add to my garden next spring and haven't been able to find a supplier.


Didn't plants from seed, found some transplants at Enchanted Gardens in Richmond. Located at 723 and 359.

We are going to try and pickle some small ones.....


----------



## sotx23 (May 4, 2010)

Anymore thoughts on this? Mr. WR Ranch perhaps? I was counting on you! Ha


----------



## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

This late in the season,okra gets tougher at a smaller size.You can get a sack full of "just right size",and a few will be rock hard already.I pick some cowhorn yesterday,and some as big as a real cowhorn were still tender,and a few 2'' long were tough.If you cut the end caps off before roasting,and there's any crunch at all when cutting,it will be stringy.Use an ok sharp knife when picking,not razor sharp,and if you feel any resistance at all cutting it from the stalk,double check by barely cutting below the stem end.It should cut into the pod very easy.If not,it's tough.I split my okra,drizzle with olive oil and black pepper when we roast it.It's cotton-pickin good,but still can't beat fried.If anyone wants any cowhorn seed,let me know.No need to buy any,'cause I have lots. Jerry


----------



## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

My mother in law told me, too much water and okra gets hard sooner than normal. Or, could have been the other way though. She said amount of water affects them. Can't verify that though!


----------

