brin
Super Member
jinman - how much Sodium in those...I love everything pickled but the sodium is the thing I watch out for..????
Pickled Okra
- Thread starter jinman
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jinman - how much Sodium in those...I love everything pickled but the sodium is the thing I watch out for..????
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jinman
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Any pickle is going to be over-the-top in sodium because of the pickling salts. These have 350 mg per serving (15% daily allowance). I think bread & butter pickles have less sodium, but these are surely no worse than any other type of pickled okra I have ever had.
Bird
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Jim, that reminds me that I got two jars of the Talk O' Texas okra in the past that had some very tough pods, maybe a third to half the pods in each jar, even though they were uniform size. I told them about it through their website and they sent coupons for replacements jars. And I've bought some of theirs since and they've always been good. I don't care much what size the pods are as long as they aren't tough.
Chuck52
Veteran Member
Bird,
I've found with my okra that the later in the season the more likely I am to get tough pods, no matter what the size. Right now, my okra has just really started producing and even the big pods that hide from me for a few days are still tender. I probably should pickle some now rather than wait until we've had our fill of fried okra, which is what I've done in the past.
One year when I had an early okra flood, I brought in a bag to work that had lots of 5-6 inch pods. One of the Indian postdocs took most of it and later told me she had never had okra that big that was tender. On the other hand, late in the season I've picked some 2-3 inch pods that were tough.
If I want the fried okra badly enough, I'll fry up the semi-tough ones and just plan to chew a while! I figure the roughage is good for me!
Chuck
I've found with my okra that the later in the season the more likely I am to get tough pods, no matter what the size. Right now, my okra has just really started producing and even the big pods that hide from me for a few days are still tender. I probably should pickle some now rather than wait until we've had our fill of fried okra, which is what I've done in the past.
One year when I had an early okra flood, I brought in a bag to work that had lots of 5-6 inch pods. One of the Indian postdocs took most of it and later told me she had never had okra that big that was tender. On the other hand, late in the season I've picked some 2-3 inch pods that were tough.
If I want the fried okra badly enough, I'll fry up the semi-tough ones and just plan to chew a while! I figure the roughage is good for me!
Chuck
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jinman
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Chuck, our okra is growing so fast that if my wife misses a 2" pod when she picks, it will be 5" or more two days later when she picks again. Even so, since it is growing so fast, it seems to all be tender. I think she could pick okra every day from our little patch. We have som many yellow blooms on our okra that it looks like it should be in a flower garden. Kathy loves picking okra because she doesn't have to bend over causing her back to hurt.
Now, I like picking blackeyed peas because I only pick the leathery pod ones that are mature and easy to shell. Many people never get the knack of picking the right pea pods and that can make shelling a real pain. Just because the pea pod is big doesn't mean it is ready to pick. Many people also break off the bloom stem on peas when they pick the pod. After so many years of picking, I have it down to a science. I only break one or two bloom stems while picking a whole half-bushel of peas. My brother tells the story of letting some friends pick in his pea patch. They told him that they knew how to pick peas, but when they brought their baskets to show him, they had broken off the bloom stem on every pea they picked and there was no more bloom/pea production from those stems.
Now, I like picking blackeyed peas because I only pick the leathery pod ones that are mature and easy to shell. Many people never get the knack of picking the right pea pods and that can make shelling a real pain. Just because the pea pod is big doesn't mean it is ready to pick. Many people also break off the bloom stem on peas when they pick the pod. After so many years of picking, I have it down to a science. I only break one or two bloom stems while picking a whole half-bushel of peas. My brother tells the story of letting some friends pick in his pea patch. They told him that they knew how to pick peas, but when they brought their baskets to show him, they had broken off the bloom stem on every pea they picked and there was no more bloom/pea production from those stems.
Bird
Rest in Peace
Oh, no, you're doing it all wrong.:shocked::laughing: Of course, they're easier to shell, but I prefer the smaller green peas and plenty of snaps; better flavor.
And I simply cannot find our preferred kind in the canned ones. I have a brother who loves blackeyed peas, but only wants the dried ones, and I had a neighbor down in Navarro County that I let pick his own and he was like you; only wanted the "mature" ones.But I do agree with you about the bloom stems.:laughing:
Chuck52
Veteran Member
Now you guys have me all paranoid about my pink-eyes. This is only my second year of growing any field peas, and I'm not sure if I picked them right last year or not. You do mean to just be careful to pick just the pod you are picking, right? Same way when you're picking green beans you try not to pull off the stem and just take the pod? I either pinch off the pods or hold the stem while I pull the pod.
Last year I waited until the pods were pretty mature, but not completely dried out. I wanted the full sized peas, but still "fresh" and not dried out. I wasn't quite sure what stage to collect the snaps at, so I just didn't. Got a pretty good stand this year. About 2 and a half 60 foot rows. The !@#$% Japanese beetles don't seem all that interested in them, though I had a good time squishing beetles on the okra.
I introduced some of my friends here in Missery to okra and last year I gave some of the same folks their first fresh pink-eyes. The pink-eyes were more universally approved. Some folks just can't get by the texture of okra. Got one vegetarian friend who really liked the peas and did them up in olive oil and various fresh herbs. I used some of them in a dish something like Texas caviar.
Chuck
Last year I waited until the pods were pretty mature, but not completely dried out. I wanted the full sized peas, but still "fresh" and not dried out. I wasn't quite sure what stage to collect the snaps at, so I just didn't. Got a pretty good stand this year. About 2 and a half 60 foot rows. The !@#$% Japanese beetles don't seem all that interested in them, though I had a good time squishing beetles on the okra.
I introduced some of my friends here in Missery to okra and last year I gave some of the same folks their first fresh pink-eyes. The pink-eyes were more universally approved. Some folks just can't get by the texture of okra. Got one vegetarian friend who really liked the peas and did them up in olive oil and various fresh herbs. I used some of them in a dish something like Texas caviar.
Chuck
dmccarty
Super Star Member
We love Okra.
We did not grow any this year because it took constant picking. You could see a pod that was not quite ready to pick and then boom, next day it was a six inch long spike that would do in Dracula.
I tried pickling Okra and I am not happy with the result.
We can get Talk o Texas brand here and the are EXCELLENT. :thumbsup:
Regarding Japanese Beetles. Last year I bought two kits that attract the beetles so that they fall into a plastic bag to die, Die, DIE!. These worked VERY well. The beetles really like the beans, corn and to a lessor degree the Okra. This year the beans are late but the volunteer beans that popped up got hit hard by the beetles. I put up some new bags and attractors and no more beetles! Much better than spraying with my home made bug killer or when it really got bad Sevin.
I think this is what I bought down at the farm store, Buy "Bag-A-Bug" Japanese Beetle Trap at BuyHardwareSupplies.com. This year I just bought some new attractant and bags.
After I put up the new bags and attractant the beetles really have disappeared. I think after two years I think we seem to have reduced the beetle population.
Later,
Dan
We did not grow any this year because it took constant picking. You could see a pod that was not quite ready to pick and then boom, next day it was a six inch long spike that would do in Dracula.
I tried pickling Okra and I am not happy with the result.
We can get Talk o Texas brand here and the are EXCELLENT. :thumbsup:
Regarding Japanese Beetles. Last year I bought two kits that attract the beetles so that they fall into a plastic bag to die, Die, DIE!.
These worked VERY well. The beetles really like the beans, corn and to a lessor degree the Okra. This year the beans are late but the volunteer beans that popped up got hit hard by the beetles. I put up some new bags and attractors and no more beetles! Much better than spraying with my home made bug killer or when it really got bad Sevin. I think this is what I bought down at the farm store, Buy "Bag-A-Bug" Japanese Beetle Trap at BuyHardwareSupplies.com. This year I just bought some new attractant and bags.
After I put up the new bags and attractant the beetles really have disappeared. I think after two years I think we seem to have reduced the beetle population.
Later,
Dan
Bird
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No need to be paranoid, Chuck.:laughing: There's just some differences in preferred flavor. I prefer the young green peas with snaps, but I sure never turn down the mature ones, like Jim picks, or even the dried ones my brother prefers. And I don't believe I ever heard of "pink-eyed" peas, although purple hulls are quite popular in our area, and apparently they're the same thing.
Tastes vary with okra, too. My wife likes fried okra, but won't eat it any other way. I like it fried, stewed, or pickled, and I used to have a secretary who carried her lunch to work, and frequently included raw pods of okra. I had never before heard of eating it raw, so I tried it; not bad, but not particularly good either.
Tastes vary with okra, too. My wife likes fried okra, but won't eat it any other way. I like it fried, stewed, or pickled, and I used to have a secretary who carried her lunch to work, and frequently included raw pods of okra. I had never before heard of eating it raw, so I tried it; not bad, but not particularly good either.
Chuck52
Veteran Member
Bird,
The packet said pink-eyed purple hull, so I guess we're talking about the same pea. I like the purple hull because they make it so easy to find them, as opposed to the green okra pods I often miss until they get to the tent stake stage. I bought them last year because they were the only field pea available around here. I thought sure I'd find either black eyes or crowders, but only one seed store had the purple hulls and that was all they had for field peas. I had planned to order some different peas but never got around to it, and I still had a bag of these. Then I saw small packs of them at WalMart of all places.
Fried is my favorite way to eat okra, though it is fine as an additive to soups and stews. I hope to try some kind of curry with it this year. That seems to be one of the main ways it is used in India and the far east. Raw? I've eaten a few raw pods while picking, but I can't see that as major use!
Chuck
The packet said pink-eyed purple hull, so I guess we're talking about the same pea. I like the purple hull because they make it so easy to find them, as opposed to the green okra pods I often miss until they get to the tent stake stage. I bought them last year because they were the only field pea available around here. I thought sure I'd find either black eyes or crowders, but only one seed store had the purple hulls and that was all they had for field peas. I had planned to order some different peas but never got around to it, and I still had a bag of these. Then I saw small packs of them at WalMart of all places.
Fried is my favorite way to eat okra, though it is fine as an additive to soups and stews. I hope to try some kind of curry with it this year. That seems to be one of the main ways it is used in India and the far east. Raw? I've eaten a few raw pods while picking, but I can't see that as major use!
Chuck