Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-08-16
THE VALUE OF OKRA
AN IMPORTANT FOOD PLANT THAT
- MUCH NEGLECTED.

LONESOME simple Re~ip...
okra Is very important and useful
plant. with numerous uses. the most
important being for the table. Tho
green pods without doubt make the
nnest soup vegetable supplied by the
garden. Cooked whole they also fur
nish palatable- side dish. The nm
trient properties OF okra are very high
ana II has the additional advantage OF
being. an exceedingly wholesome ar,i.
Gle OF food. II is enormously called
gumbo In many cook books and even
IN some encyclopedias. The name OF
the plant and its fruit IS okra Gumbo
is general term for various kinds or
soup made OF IL. Okra. I'm fact. * an
excellent food much neglected.
n very important consideration from
the aiimentary point OF view * the nm
usually high percentage OF dIgestible
matter. That fact had been establish
ed by common experience long before
any analysis OF the pod had been
thought OF, for wherever the vegeta-
bic is in use IL is well known that the
soup Is highly beneficial To persons
with weak stOmachS. often Il viii be
retained when nothing else can be TAX
en-. and IL has I'm many cases restored
tone 10 digestive organs that seemed
nopelessly disordered. Ii Is a partic-
ularly beneficial food I'm cases OF dys-
EMERY and chronic Indigestion.
The dried seeds. parched and ground
fa nnfa
shtute for coffee. \ substitute for ar
rowroot can be made from the roots
The leaves. green or dry. are used. de
cocted, for their demulcent properties
The inner bark. soft AMI white. con-
taiDs strong fiber resemblin. flax
The outer bark Is also fibrous and. To-
gether with the woody part Of the
plant. furnishes excellent plp,r stock
As okra * easily raised. Il can be cul-
tivated with profit
For table use the pods must be cut
while tender. generally when about
three inches long. They grow rapidlv
and soon become woody. The plant *
very prolific. AMI II will continue 10
bear until touched 10y frost. 4 small
patch viii moro than meet The reuuire-
ments OF an ordinary family. AM the
surplus may Ice preserved for winter
use by two convenient methods. The
easier * by drym~ S,cc the nod.
croSswayS, into sections a quarter Of
an inch thick. spread thin on large
dishes OF trays and expo @ % the sun
from day 20 day until tho. ouchly dried
Put I'm Jars or close cans and keep
free from moisture. Tho other method
OF preservation is 10y canning. which
viii bc explained later on. The plant
Is foliacious and ornamental enough
FOR the Hover garden. The leaves are
large ana palmatiscctcd. and the bios
SONS. which iu form resemble those OF
the hollyhock. are az first brilliant
gold, with purple disk After the
first day the gold also takes a purpiiSh
hue.
Here are some OF the best recipes for
cooking okra: Okra Soup-Take Il
piece OF lcer or a marrow bone. put
ON i'm cold water and boil until cooked.
Slice one quart OF olsra pods crosSvavs
into thin sections and add. with enough
strained ripe tomatoes 10 give the soup
n rich color. Continue To boil until
the okra is thoroughly cooked. which
VIII take about fifteen minutes. \
green pepper. from which the seeds
have been removed. Sliced and added.
viii improve the flavor. The various
Gumhos. chicken. fish or crab. are made
in the same manner
An excellent soup can bee made with
out meat by boiling the oEra. Sliced
as above. and adding when cooked a
good sized piece OF butter. other vcge-
tables. such as carrots. onions and
celery, may also bc used. but lovers OF
okra prefer il straight. Soup made as
above will keep IN "a cool place for sew
eral days and improve with age.
\ savOry dish for lunch or dinner Is
made IN the following manner: Butter
n pudding dish. put IN u layer OF cook
Ell or half cooked rice. Il layer Of sliced
okra, layer OF ripe sliced tomatoes.
butter, pepper. salt and a little sugar
II the acid of the tomatoes Ice objec-
tonable; repeat the layers until the
dish Is filled; CRATE breadcrumbs on
top, with pieces OF butter; pour in as
much boiling water as the dish will
hold; bake long enough To cook: serve
hot
Okra also makes palatable vcgeta-
bic dish. but in this form IL is not al
ways acceptable on first acquaintance
It's substance is vlScOus. and for that
reason probably does not at once cap
tivate the taste. Put the pods. whole,
into boiling water, with salt: boil
about fifteen minutes or until cooked;
pour of the water. place in hot dish,
add pepper and plenty OF good butter;
serve hot. Cooked IN this way, treated
with good vinegar and served cold. II
makes a good salad.
Any housewife can do hcr own can
ming Of ollra. Slice and boil the olXra
until two-thirdS cooked; put in hot
jar. fill full. seal tight and place in
dark closet; If desired. add strained
tomatoes and boil until the okra is
cooked. but be careful In
either case 10 omit salt; put up in jars
as above. BY following this method
okra soup may be had throughout the
winter
III thV FouNh tut 'hS't lOl olNtd II UNI
verSal. possibly an Inheritance. Else
where It may, like that for the olive.
have To be cultivated. But the taste
does not require much cultivation. and.
once acquired, II is permanent pos
session New York Herald.
To the honest mind the best pcrqui-
sites of a place are the advantages II
gives for DOING yOOd Addison