I'd wait til they are at least an inch to 2" long, and then begin to harvest. When i buy okra, i look for the smallest ones, as they are mush less stringy and more tender. Plus, that way it will set more seedpods sooner.

Thank you!

Try it panfried whole in a really hot pan with a splash of olive oil. Let it get good and browned in spots (don't turn it constantly). It may look burnt, but it'll taste great- those brown spots are caramelized. When it's almost done, throw in some chopped garlic and pine nuts & cook til just golden & fragrant. mmmm.

If you cook it whole it's not so apt to get slimy. This cooking method also works great for asparagus and green beans. We also use it for broccoli.

Tamelask....that sounds so good! I am going to try that with broccoli!! Where do you buy your pine nuts?

That does sound yummy! I will try it.

Sam's club if you have a membership, otherwise, wherever you can find them (they have them the cheapest i've seen). Neomonde's and whole foods in Raleigh has them if you can't find them elsewhere. To me, the pine nuts really make the dish. Walnuts would probably work well in a pinch, or even pecans.

Dh adds in croutons sometimes, which is ok, but i don't like as much as pine nuts. Sometimes we also dash in just a little sesame oil- but use very little and just at the end, because it's strong and burns fast. It's esp good with broccoli or beans. Sesame seeds are another good addition instead of pine nuts, but they do fly all over as they heat up. If you don't have garlic, onions would probably work too. Basically, pick your favorite seasonings/add ons and just use 2 or at most, 3. If you get more than that it gets weird.

I love pine nuts - we have been buying ours at Earth Fare. They are hard to find in bulk.

Sam's Club sells them in 2 or 3 pound bags, i believe. That lasts a long time! Store them in the fridge and they keep indefinitely.

Yeah, I learned a few years ago the hard way that pine nuts should be stored in the fridge. I think I'll wind up using quite a lot of them this year - my basil is unbelievable down here. I have 3 containers of it, and it looks like I'll have enough to make pesto for half the county, LOL.

Basil grinds down into nothing when you use it for pesto so you might be surprised. What a nice thing to put aside for the cold winter days! BTW, it freezes well.

I pick my okra when it is a little smaller than my thumb. I also do not like my okra stringy or woody, so if I am able to snap the tip off with a slight push then it is too woody for me to eat. I have found out the larger you let them get the less desirable to cook. I compost the larger ones I do not used.

I pick them as small as Wayoutman described, and I saute them in olive oil with onion and Indian spices: cayenne pepper, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and salt and pepper. Cannot tell you the exact amounts as I do it to taste. Cook on very high heat until it blackens, as Tamelask described...and your version sounds great, too. Yum, yum!!

If you want to grow them larger-- about finger length-- do that and slice crossways-- dredge lightly in flour and pan fry. Fried "Okrie" is what we always called it. Great with sliced tomatoes.