You can find information on how to pick okra under the 鈥淗arvesting鈥 section of the article above. In general, okra is ready to harvest in about 60 to 70 days. You want to look for pods about 2 to 4 inches long (about 3 to 6 days after flowering). Much bigger, and the okra can become tough and stringy. (Round-podded varieties may remain tender at larger sizes.) Wear gloves and long sleeves, as okra has tiny spines that can irritate the skin. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut the pod off the stem, leaving about 1/4 inch of stem on the pod; handle pods carefully, as they are easily bruised. Keep harvesting at least every other day to encourage more pods to form. If a pod gets too big, remove it from the plant and discard (or use it in flower arrangements); leaving it on the plant may slow the development of other pods.
When buying okra at a store, look for bright green, firm (but not hard) pods that are a maximum of 4 inches long. Avoid any that are limp/soft, dried, dull in color, or moldy.
Hi, Josh,
You can find information on how to pick okra under the 鈥淗arvesting鈥 section of the article above. In general, okra is ready to harvest in about 60 to 70 days. You want to look for pods about 2 to 4 inches long (about 3 to 6 days after flowering). Much bigger, and the okra can become tough and stringy. (Round-podded varieties may remain tender at larger sizes.) Wear gloves and long sleeves, as okra has tiny spines that can irritate the skin. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut the pod off the stem, leaving about 1/4 inch of stem on the pod; handle pods carefully, as they are easily bruised. Keep harvesting at least every other day to encourage more pods to form. If a pod gets too big, remove it from the plant and discard (or use it in flower arrangements); leaving it on the plant may slow the development of other pods.
When buying okra at a store, look for bright green, firm (but not hard) pods that are a maximum of 4 inches long. Avoid any that are limp/soft, dried, dull in color, or moldy.
Hope this helps!