Okra 'Cowhorn 22' / 'Steer Horn'

A sturdy, green okra, cultivated in the US before 1865. The plants grow significantly: 2-2½ m in the greenhouse and slightly lower in the open ground (at least in the Netherlands, where open ground okra cultivation is not yet very successful). Topping the plants at 120 cm height eventually results in fuller, lower plants. These produce substantial fruits! Although not every plant is the same, they usually yield fruits up to 30 cm long! A notable characteristic of this variety is that the fruits remain tender despite their size. Nevertheless, harvesting 15 cm long fruits is most common. The elegant yellow flowers and leaves are also edible. Overripe fruits provide edible seeds.

Okra is a versatile and elegant, yellow or white-flowered summer vegetable with many edible parts! The most important and well-known part are the pod-shaped fruits. These are tastiest when harvested very young and are fried, boiled (thickens sauces and soups), or pickled. Its wonderfully soft texture is much loved in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. The seeds can be ground or boiled and incorporated into bread or Tofu and Tempeh. Roasted seeds make one of the best coffee substitutes! The leaves, flower buds, and flowers are edible in stir-fries or soups. The leaves can also be dried for later use in soup. Finally, the roots are also edible for preparing, for example, a vegetable broth; remove the roots after steeping as they are tough. Very popular in Central and South America (Surinamese cuisine, for example)

Names:
Latin: Abelmoschus esculentus, or also Hibiscus esculentus
Dutch: Okra
Also known as: Lady's finger
English: Okra, Lady's Finger