Okra-Lalo

Also known as Ladies Finger in English, this plant is from the cotton family and bears edible, furry fruit pods that contain many small white seeds. It has a mucilaginous consistency and is used as a vegetable in curries or salads.

The okra plant bears numerous dark green colored pods measuring about 5-15 cm in length. The pods are usually gathered while they are green, tender, and at the immature stage. Thay have a neutral flavor. In the markets, look for crispy, immature pods and avoid those with over-ripen, sunken, discolored, spots, cuts, and mushy.
Okra pods are widely used on the islands and are made into salad. They are also used in curries or fried in spices.
If you have sensitive skin,wear gloves and long sleeves when cutting the okra because most varieties are covered with tiny spines that can irritate your skin, unless you have a spineless variety.

Eat them while they are fresh to obtain full benefits of vitamins and antioxidants. They may also stay well for 1-2 days when placed in the refrigerator. They may also be frozen. All you need to do is to put the uncut and uncooked pods into freezer bags and place them in the freezer.

Okra is a rich source of nutrients, including fibre, vitamins A, C and B6, folic acid, calcium, iron and magnesium.