Heirloom Okra

June 7, 2011 
Leave a Comment

Nathan’s family has lived in Fannin county since the 1870′s.  For generations they grew okra and saved seeds for the next year.  We now grow okra descended from this family seed in our garden every year.  The okra plants are very well adapted to this climate and soil since it has been bred for generations here.  The plants will reach over 6 feet tall and produce an abundance of thick short green and purple pods.  I have seen similar okra in an Baker Creek heirloom seed catalog called Hill Country Heirloom Red Okra and it is classified as very rare.  

The taste of our Lackey-Coonrod Heirloom Red Okra is wonderful and in my opinion far better than the typical long green pods that are grown everywhere.  Every year we let pods go to seed and pick them for next years seed.  We had an entire bucket of seed shelled when it was ruined by a leak in our shed.  Luckily we had picked a lot of pods and I had plenty to shell again.

Turns out I’ll get to just keep this seed for next year because the okra we planted last year has reseeded itself and we now have almost an acre of volunteer okra in our garden area.

I think the seed itself is beautiful.  Every seed is a unique color ranging from a deep dusty green to grey-blue to almost purple.

Every year I try to put up some okra and although my try at pickling it was a colossal failure, I have learned how to freeze it where it keeps very well.  When I put some up this year I plan to take pictures and post about the process–I’m also going to try to put some up whole for the first time for roasting in the oven or grilling rather than only frying.  Growing up fried okra was my very favorite food–I would pick that over cake even as a child.  But, even I get tired of fried okra after the 20th bag so I’m hoping to perfect these other ways of cooking it this fall and winter from my frozen stores.