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When cooked, okras give of a slimy liquid, which thickens the cooking liquid and causes many people not to like them.
Tips how to use okra
- If okra is blanched in water with vinegar, it will not give of its slimy thickening agent during further preparation.
- Alternatively you can put whole okra pods for one or two hours in water with lemon juice.
- Cut the pods in large pieces after they have been rinsed and fry in oil over a large heat for a couple of minutes before you follow the recipe for further preparation.
For some dishes the slime is welcome and necessary, for example Gumbo, a stew from the creole kitchen. Gumbo is one of the African names for okra and at the same time name for stews that are cooked with okra. Nowadays the word Gumbo is also used for stews without okra but very seldom for the vegetable itself.