Okra flower or pod? I cantt tell the difference

[matanai]

I'm having a hard time telling the difference between an okra that is ready to be picked and eaten, and a flower bud/. I picked a couple "real" okras and then picked another one that turned out to be an almost closed (or maybe just opening?) flower bud. I really can't tell when they're ready or not and I"m trying. I never see them flower so either

Comments

[mamculuna]

Hope you feel better soon! That sounds miserable. An okra that's ready to eat will be slightly fuzzy and will have detectable ribs. It will be a couple of inches long. Here are pictures: http://www.google.com/images?q=okra%20pod&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1152&bih=512

The flower looks like a hibiscus and I think at the length of a ripe pod should be turning creamy. Here are pictures: http://www.google.com/images?q=okra%20flower%20bud&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1152&bih=512

[matanai]

Ok thank you! Does the flower fall off before the fruit starts? i guess I have seen some closed flower buds on the ground and thought they looked like little soft wrinkly rotten okras. I wish the fruit and the flower looked more different! I was going to cut open some of my okra in the fridge to see if any of those were flower buds but then I got sick XD
I can eat these tihngs like candy (spicy pickled okra mmm) but when it comes to the plant I don't know a darn thing xD

I think I'm at the end of my cold. my BF makes fun of me and says I take the longest out of everyone to get over simple things. I would miss a week of work or school just for a simple cold! My dog is driving me nuts too... poor thing has been stuck inside with me.

[mamculuna]

Yes, the flower falls off. And maybe you could mark one and watch it for a while--if it just keeps getting bigger and stays green and fuzzy with little ribs, it's the okra, but if it starts changing to a creamy white it's the flower. The flowers are very pretty. Don't let the okra get more than about 3 inches long--it gets woody.

A couple of good ways to cook okra: slice and stir fry briefly with garlic and red pepper flakes, and then stir in some cooked brown rice, for okra fried rice. Also, last night I had some grilled okra (whole pod--just til it's slightly singed) with lemon juice, and it was great! Don't over cook it and definitely don't boil it! Slimy boiled okra is not good!

[matanai]

The okra fried rice sounds delicious! My old 2 standbys for okra are obviously fried okra,and then the spicy pickled okra. I had an okra gumbo once but it was kind of gross. :/ It was a texture thing.

[muffinmon]

Nothing to do with gardening, but feel better

[matanai]

Thank you very much :)

[matanai]

Some stuff did die while i was sick but not really due to any fault of my own except maybe not using pesticides or something enough and milk spray. :/ Squash vine borers and downy mildew worked together to kill off my spaghetti squash but oh wells. Everything else is OK but I swear I'm drowning in tomatoes.

[momomom]

Awww, I hope you feel better soon!

[matanai]

TY! I ... obviously didn't check my email the day you posted this/ LOL I feel better now, still coughing but am getting around. Have this inexplicable shoulder pain though.