The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1905-10-13
THE VALUE OF OKRA
AN IMPORTANT FOOD PLANT THAT
IS MUCH NEGLECTED..

AN IMPORTANT FOOD PLANT THAI
IS MUCH NEGLECTED..
It's Nutritive Properties Are Yer,
High and 1t IL Particularly Bene'
hcial In Cases Of Chronic Indiges
tion-some Staple Recipes.
Okra is a very important and usefu
plant. with numerous uses, the mos,
important being for the table. Tht
green pods without doubt make the
finest soup vegetable supplied by the
garden. Cooked whole they also fur
nish a palatable side dish. The nu'
TRENT properties Of okra are very high,
and it has the additional advantage of
being an exceedingly wholesome arti-
Gle of food. 1t is enormously called
gumbo in many cook books and ever
in some encyclopedias. The name of
the plant and its fruit is okra. Gumbo
Is a general term for various kinds of
soup made of it. Okra, in fact, is an
excellent food much neglected.
A very important consideration from
the %alimentary point Of view is the un-
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 it is we'll known that the
soup is highly beneficial to persons
with weak stomachs. Often it will be
retained when nothing else can be TAX
en-, and it has in many cases restored
tone to digestive organs that seemed
h%opelessly disordered. 1t is a partic-
ularly beneficial food in cases Of dys-
EMERY and chronic indigestion.
The dried seeds, parched and ground,
are said to make an acceptable sub
stittlte for coffee. A 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 and white, con-
tains a strong fiber resembling fax.
The outer bark is also fibrous and, to-
gether with the woody part Of the
plant, furnishes excellent paper stock.
AS okra is easily raised, it can be Gull
tivated with profit.
For table use the pods must be cut
while tender, generally when about
three inches long. They grow rapidly
and o o become woody. The plant is
very prolific, and it will continue to
bear until touched by frost. A small
patch will more than meet the require
ments Of an ordinary family, and. the
surplus may be preserved for winter
use by two convenient methods. The
easier is by drying. Slice the pod,
crossways, into sections a quarter of
an inch thick. spread thin on large
dishes or trays and expose to the sun
from day to day until thoroughly dried.
Put in jars or close cans and keep
free from moisture. The other method
of preservation is by canning, which
will be explained later On. The plant
is foliacious and ornamental enough
for the flower garden. The leaves are
large and palmatisected, and the bios
SONS, which in form resemble those of
the hollyhock, are at first a brilliant
gold, with a purple disk. After the
first day the gold also takes a purplish
hue.
Here are some of the best recipes for
cooking okra: Okra soup-Take a
piece of beef or a narrow bone, put
on in cold water and boil until cooked.
Slice II quart of okra pods crossways
into thin sections and add, with enough
strained ripe tomatoes to give the soup
a rich color. Continue to boil until
the okra is thoroughly cooked, which
will take about fifteen minutes. A
green pepper, from which the seeds
have been removed, sliced and added, |
will improve the flavor. The various
gumbos, chicken, fish or crab, are made |
in the same manner
An excellent soup can be made with
out meat by boiling the okra, sliced
above, and adding when cooked a
good sized piece of butter. Other vege-
tables, such as carrots, onions and
celery, may also be used, but lovers Of
okra prefer it straight. Soup made as
above will keep in a cool place for sew
eral days and,improve with age.
A savory dish for lunch or dinner is
made in the following manner: Butter
a pudding dish, put in a layer Of cook
ed or half cooked rice, a layer Of sliced
okra, a layer of ripe sliced tomatoes,
butter, pepper, salt and a little sugar
If the acid Of the tomatoes be objec-
tionable; repeat the layers until the
dish is filled; crate breadcrumbs on
top, with pieces of butter; pour in as
much boiling wafer as the dish will
hold; bake long enough to cook; serve
hot.
Okra also makes a palatable vegeta-
BILE dish, but in this form it is not al
ways acceptable on first acquaintance.
It's substance is viscous, 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 a hot dish.
add pepper and plenty Of good butter;
serve hot. Cooked in this way, treated
with good vinegar and served cold, 1t
makes a good salad.
Any housewife cam do her own can
of okra SHco and hoili tho olrra 4