How to Know When to Pick Okra

Okra is a nutritious vegetable packed with fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid. Whether you are eating it fried as a side dish or as a healthy addition to soup, it's important to make sure this tall-growing vegetable is ready to be picked. Don't just head to the garden and start yanking up your okra at first sight of a sprout. Inspect the vegetable and do some calculating to determine whether it's ready or not.

Sharp knife

Instructions

- 1
  Calculate when you planted the okra to get a general idea of when it will be ready to be picked. Typically, okra is ready for harvest approximately two months after planting.
- 2
  Pick okra when they are between 3 and 6 inches long. This measurement can vary slightly depending on the variety of okra, so it's important not to use this as the only factor in considering maturity.
- 3
  Look for flowers on the okra. It is a fast-growing vegetable, so after flowering occurs, it is ready to be picked about four days later.
- 4
  Test the toughness of the stem with a knife. Take one okra stem and try to cut through it with a sharp knife. Stems that cut with very little pressure indicated the okra isn't ready. Tough stems that cannot be easily cut usually indicate the okra is past maturity and will not be suitable for eating. The stem should be able to be cut with moderate force to indicate the okra is ready for picking.

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