I've been having trouble with my okra lately. It all ends up "woody" and I was wondering if something could be substituted for it and still have the same basic flavor? I love okra and tomatoes but am getting tired of the texture I'm getting lately and was thinking of using squash instead. Any suggestions appreciated.

depending on your recipe - what your are making - you can substitute just about anything - also have you tried frozen okra?

Not finding frozen okra in my area but will check one more store. If that doesn't work I will just sub the squash for it and try it.

There really is no substitute for OKRA that I am aware of. If it is getting woody it is beacuse we are coming toward the end of the growng season. Try picking it while it is still young, also you could cook it by frying rather than using it in soup or stew. The reason squash would not be the substitute of choice is because Okra has a slight thickening effect on the dish it is boiled in for instance: in Gumbo okra is used to slightly thicken it. In soup and stew or boiled on top of a pot full of peas or butterbeans it is used the same way. Your squash would add more liquid to the dish and no thickening effect at all. If you need your soup or broth a little thicker you may try using a small amount of cornstarch. In making Okra and tomatoes the squash would make the dish more moist as well. It would not taste the same as squash and okra.

Fried Okra

Wash and cut okra into small bite size rounds, removing the tips as you cut it up. Dredge all your Okra pieces in a bowl of cornmeal. Place the breaded okra into a large skillet of hot oil and pan-fry until a nice brown color is achieved. Drain on paper towel and serve hot. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

that's what I was thinking too Cathy, it needed to be picked earlier.

Here our markets have frozen okra both in little whole pods and sliced. mmmm, good stuff!

Nan