Explore Unconventional Okra Types: Beyond the Popular Clemson Spineless
In the world of gardening, experimenting with various vegetable varieties can lead to exciting discoveries. This year, a gardener embarked on such an adventure, growing a diverse selection of okra plants. Here's a rundown of the findings from this exploration.
The author's Okra garden included the popular Clemson Spineless variety, along with Burmese Okra, Sherwood Red Okra, Puerto Rico Everblush Okra, and Gold Coast Okra.
Clemson Spineless okra, known for its decent amount of mucilage, is ideal for stews and tender fried squash. However, it stays tender only up to 4-5 inches, becoming tough quickly thereafter.
Gold Coast Okra, on the other hand, is renowned for its well-developed root system and tolerance to both drought and heat. It resists root knot nematodes better than other varieties. This okra variety is best known for its mucilaginous nature, which may or may not be a desirable trait depending on the gardener. Interestingly, Gold Coast Okra grew about 6-7 feet tall but remained fairly compact for harvesting. The pods of Gold Coast Okra turned tough quickly if not harvested very young.
Burmese Okra boasts 9-12" pods that are almost spineless and are still tender at 10". It is less gooey than other varieties of okra and doesn't get as tall as other varieties, making it easier to harvest.
Sherwood Red Okra has a great taste, especially when fried, and is known to be less gooey than other varieties. However, it grew to be so tall toward the end of the season that it was difficult to harvest.
Puerto Rico Everblush Okra is unique because it grows early and is quite a productive plant. Some pods are green and some "blush" to red. It stayed tender longer than Clemson Spineless (but not as long as Burmese or Sherwood Red). Like Sherwood Red, it grew to be quite tall, making harvesting a challenge.
If a crisp, dry okra is desired, the other varieties listed may serve better than Gold Coast Okra. Thinner okra varieties, such as Burmese and Sherwood Red, roasted better due to their tendency to remain more tender.
The seeds for these different okra varieties were sourced from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. In Germany, these seeds can typically be purchased from specialized seed retailers such as Dreschflegel, Bingenheimer Saatgut, or online garden shops focusing on heirloom and exotic seeds.
When fried together, the taste of the okra varieties was not significantly different. This experiment offers valuable insights for gardeners seeking to grow their own okra, highlighting the unique traits of each variety and their suitability for various recipes.
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