Why is okra red? When is okra available?

Okra tastes very fresh and juicy, and has a great taste. Many friends like it very much. Today we will learn about okra in daily life, including why okra is red, which season okra is available, and how to preserve fresh okra. I hope it will be helpful to you in your life.

Contents of this article

1. Why is okra red?

2. When is okra available?

3. How to preserve fresh okra

Why is okra red?

Red okra, scientific name: Hibiscus coccineus (Medicus) Walt, is a variety of okra with red fruit skin. It is an annual herbaceous plant of the Malvaceae family. The young fruits are mainly eaten. The flowers and seeds of red okra can be used as medicine, which has good curative effects on gastritis, gastric ulcer and other diseases. It also has the function of protecting the liver. The capsule is long angular, with a pointed tip and a pentagonal or hexagonal cross section, or a round one. There are hairs on the epidermis, which harden at lower temperatures.

It likes warmth and strong light, is heat-resistant, and cannot tolerate frost. It is drought-resistant and moisture-resistant, but not waterlogged, and has a wide adaptability to soil. It is native to the southeastern United States and is occasionally introduced and cultivated in gardens in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and other cities in China for ornamental purposes.

When is okra available?

Okra is normally planted in April. It takes about 60 days from sowing to the formation of the first tender fruit. The entire harvest period is 60 to 70 days, and the whole growth period can reach about 120 days.

Fresh and tender okra can be eaten in early June every year, but due to the widespread existence of greenhouse cultivation, okra can be planted from April to August every year, which means that fresh okra can be eaten throughout the summer and autumn. In the north, flat or high ridge cultivation is used. Sowing is done in early to mid-May and harvesting begins in July.

In North China, sowing is generally done from mid-to-late April to May. In cold northern regions, solar greenhouses and plastic greenhouses are often used to centrally grow seedlings, and then they are planted in the field after the early spring and late frost. Okra likes warmth and is afraid of frost. The entire growth period should be arranged within the frost-free period, and the flowering and fruiting period should be in the warm and humid season in various places.

How to preserve fresh okra

In a high temperature environment, okra respires very quickly, so it is very easy to age and spoil. Therefore, scientific experiments have shown that fresh okra can be stored for about 10 days at a temperature of 7℃ to 10℃. If the temperature exceeds this range or is lower than this range, okra will quickly turn yellow, lose nutrients and taste bad. When storing okra in the refrigerator, do not put it in the freezer. Once okra touches ice, it will become soft and lose its crisp taste.

It is best to eat okra that you bought on the same day. If you need to store it in the refrigerator, it is best to wrap it with plastic wrap and eat it within two days. At the same time, it should be noted that okra is easily scratched and will immediately oxidize and turn black, so when buying or storing it, you should pay attention to whether the okra is scratched, otherwise it will affect the taste.