Fried okra doesn’t last long in my house. During the growing season, spring to first frost, I make a lot of it. It seems once or twice a week I am asked if the basket full of green pods I’m carrying can be battered and fried. It’s easy enough to make so I don’t mind. The only problem is that I can’t stop eating it until it’s gone.

Okra has many different kinds to chose from. Spineless, Star of David, Emerald, Cowhorn…the list of names can become confusing when you are standing at the feed store looking for seeds to plant and no matter what type you decide on the key is to pick them when they are young and tender to avoid those tough pods that you can’t even saw through much less chew through. Ok, so you’ve planted and harvested it, now what? Don’t worry…I got you covered.

Start by removing the top and bottom of the okra pod and then begin slicing your okra into small circles from one end to the other. You can leave them whole if you prefer but cutting them up is the only way to go in my house. The thinner the slice, the crispier it fries up. Put all your slices together into a bowl and let them sit for a little while. Ten minutes or more will be all it takes to allow the slimy liquid in the okra to release and coat all the slices. Go ahead and give it a stir to make sure it’s all nicely coated.

Next, add buttermilk. Pour a little buttermilk over the top of the bowl and stir to coat. You only need enough to give them all a nice little splash.

You will need cornmeal mix for the breading. I prefer a white cornmeal mix. This just means there is self rising flour and salt mixed in with the cornmeal. The amount you will need depends on how much okra you are frying. You can always start out with a little and get more as needed. For easy clean up, I pour my cornmeal mix into a plastic bag.

Dip the okra out of the bowl and allow it to drain just a little before adding it to your bag of cornmeal mix. I use a spider for this and give it a few gentle taps to remove extra buttermilk.

Seal the bag containing okra and cornmeal mix and give it a good shake to coat all the okra. When the okra resembles little balls of cornmeal it is ready to sift out with another spider and fry.

I use canola oil for frying. Oil temp should be between 300-350 for frying. If you don’t have a thermometer you can check to see if your oil is hot enough by dropping one okra slice into the hot oil and see how it does. If it floats and sizzles then you’re good to go. Watch for rapid browning which can mean your oil is to hot.

When all of your okra is golden brown it will be time to remove them and drain them. Now can be a good time to add a little sprinkle of salt if desired.

I bet you can’t eat just one…