# Okra Seeds



## FlaGuitarGrl (Feb 19, 2012)

So, we tried something the other day and I wanted to share.
This is the first year that we've grown okra in our garden and I found out the hard way that if you don't pick them early enough they get too long and they turn to a tough bark. Very sad to loose so much. BUT, someone told us that we can dry the okra out and take the seeds and make coffee.
So... we did!
We dried the okra and then removed the seeds. I cleaned them by soaking them briefly in vinegar. Then, I roasted them with honey and threw them in the coffee grinder and made "okra coffee." 
It was more like a tea and had a unique, toasty taste (probably due to the honey roast). It was really good.
Did some research after that. Turns out "okra coffee" was very popular during the American Civil War when coffee distribution was disrupted.
Thought I'd share. Perhaps you had already heard of it, but I thought it was a unique find.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

I open those hard pods that are too tough to cut and take out what I call my okra pearls, the seeds, and can them with my good okra....or I cook them with the good okra...they will be good to eat....I also dehydrate okra, sprinkle it with kosher salt, and we love to eat it, kind of like pop corn....if you like stewed okra, when you slice up the okra, put it in a pan with about 2 quarts of water, 1-2 TBSP of kosher salt, and 4-6 TBSP of white vinegar. When the water and salt, vinegar comes to a boil, drop in your sliced okra and I use okra pearls as well, and let it boil for 6 minutes, take it out with a slotted spoon, add a little butter and enjoy...really tasty...those big pods can also be used to make cute Santa Claus faces...sprayed red, white hat and beard, they turn out cute...or save the seed for next year...pickled okra is good, too.


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## praieri winds (Apr 16, 2010)

GrannyG said:


> I open those hard pods that are too tough to cut and take out what I call my okra pearls, the seeds, and can them with my good okra....or I cook them with the good okra...they will be good to eat....I also dehydrate okra, sprinkle it with kosher salt, and we love to eat it, kind of like pop corn....if you like stewed okra, when you slice up the okra, put it in a pan with about 2 quarts of water, 1-2 TBSP of kosher salt, and 4-6 TBSP of white vinegar. When the water and salt, vinegar comes to a boil, drop in your sliced okra and I use okra pearls as well, and let it boil for 6 minutes, take it out with a slotted spoon, add a little butter and enjoy...really tasty...those big pods can also be used to make cute Santa Claus faces...sprayed red, white hat and beard, they turn out cute...or save the seed for next year...pickled okra is good, too.


I like to mix Ms Dash with a little salt and sprinkle it on okra slices and also thin sliced squash chips


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

I made okra coffee several years ago and found it a bit flat, but mixed with regular coffee, it stretched it nicely. What makes even better coffee (and tastes more like it) is mesquite beans. Really nice.


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## FlaGuitarGrl (Feb 19, 2012)

GrannyG, thank you for the tip on cooking the seeds of the tough okra with the good okra. I'm going to try that. 
It's so much fun to experiment with okra. I've tried baking, frying, pickling (w/jalepinos this summer and this is our favorite way of eating it so far), roasting (with a roast and other veggies - which was really good), soup ingredients (the okra thickened the soup)... We're having a blast.
Belfrybat, I think next time, we'll mix it with coffee and see how that goes.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

Those "Okra Pearls" are tasty...LOL...I just hate to waste anything....


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

These ornaments are just so cute....
Hand painted Okra Santa Ornament by Lexdesignsco on Etsy


Large Okra Santa Ornament by FemmeTouch on Etsy


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## FlaGuitarGrl (Feb 19, 2012)

They are cute! 
What is really neat about the Santa ornaments is that they are selling them for $5 and $8. I'd have quite the inventory to sell if I just used what all I have drying right now to make Okra coffee.


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