OKRA, OR GUMBO 307 



on wooden trays, on which they are thinly spread after being 

 moistened. The pods should never be shipped in tightly closed 

 crates or in great bulk, as they have a tendency to become heated. 



Uses. The principal use of okra is in soups and various culinary 

 preparations of which meats form an important part, as the so- 

 called gumbo soups. The young seeds are occasionally cooked in 

 the same way as green peas, and the very young and tender pods 

 are sometimes boiled and served as a salad with French dressing. 

 Both the stems and the mature pods contain a fiber which is 

 employed in the manufacture of paper. 



In countries where large quantities of the pods are consumed, 

 they are dried and preserved to be used during the part of the year 

 when a fresh supply cannot be obtained. There are several methods 

 of drying. By one of these the pods are cut into slices crosswise 

 and about a half inch thick ; the slices are then spread upon muslin- 

 covered frames and dried, after which the okra is stored in thin bags 

 until required for use. By another and a more common method the 

 very young pods are strung upon coarse threads and hung up to 

 dry. In Turkey alone there are tons of the pods preserved in this 

 manner each year. A variety much used for drying is that known 

 as petite gumbo, or small okra. The pods of this variety are selected 

 when only about a half inch in length and of uniform size. These 

 are strung on a string of coarse fiber and hung up to dry. 



No copper, brass, or iron cooking vessels should be employed 

 in preparing okra, as the pods will be discolored. The cooking 

 should be done in agate, porcelain, or earthen ware. 



Varieties. There are three general types of okra : Tall Green, 

 Dwarf Green, and Lady Finger. Each of these is again divided 

 according to the length and color of the pods, making in all 

 six classes or varieties as follows : Tall Green, long pod ; Tall 

 Green, short pod ; Dwarf Green, long pod ; Dwarf Green, short 

 pod ; Lady Finger, white pod ; and Lady Finger, green pod. All 

 variations from these are merely the results of mixtures, no 

 true crosses or hybrids being formed. These mixtures are easily 

 separated and referred to the parent type, and little attention to 

 roguihg and selection is necessary to keep the varieties pure. It 

 is essential that the varietal strain should be pure in order that a 

 uniform and marketable lot of pods may be produced. 



