Okra

Commodity Overview

Okra’s popularity continues to rise and more consumers are being drawn to this staple of Southern cooking. Use its rising popularity to boost your sales. However, okra does not keep well, so only bring in what you will sell in a day.

PLUs

4655 regular (green)

Varieties

Green Okra

Red Okra

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Okra offers up some little-known health benefits. It contains magnesium, which can help prevent osteoporosis. Okra is a good source of folate, which helps prevent neural tube birth defects. It contains vitamin A, which helps keep eyes healthy. Okra also contains thiamin, which is important for brain function.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for okra: fat-free, saturated fat-free, very low sodium, cholesterol-free, low in calories, a good source of vitamin A, a good source of folate, a good source of thiamin, and a good source of magnesium.

Sales Strategies

Okra is rarely eaten without being cooked in something so cross-merchandise it with bread crumbs, vegetable oil, pickling spices and canning jars.
Okra is available year-round, but its peak season is in the summer. Offer promotions to keep okra moving throughout the year.
Fall: Include okra in soup displays as it adds a distinct flavor to soups and stews. Include okra in canning promotions.
Winter: Promote fried okra as a hearty side dish for wintertime meals.
Spring: Okra shines during Mardi Gras, so be sure to have it on hand as it is a main ingredient in gumbo. Create a Mardi Gras themed-display that includes okra.
Summer: Okra has traditionally been a part of summertime meals in the South. Use this time of year to introduce it to new consumers.

Dynamic Displays

Okra does not keep well. Only bring in what you will sell in a day.
Offer consumers options by offering both bulk and packaged okra. Keep packages to a pound or less as a little okra goes a long way.
Display okra with other traditional Southern items like kale and other greens.
Encourage consumers to try okra by using signs to educate them about its uses.

Food Service

Don’t cook okra in iron, copper or brass pans. A chemical reaction occurs that turns the okra pods black.
Okra turns pasty when it is overcooked, so be sure to keep its cooking time to a minimum.
Use okra to create gumbo during Mardi Gras to attract customers wanting to celebrate.
Okra can be added to salads for a unique flavor.
Include okra in soups and stews.
Serve fried okra as a hearty comfort food side dish.

In the Backroom

Shipping
30-lb. bushel baskets/crates/hampers 23-lb. ¾-bushel hampers 18-lb. 5⁄9-bushel crates/flats 15-lb. ½-bushel baskets/crates/lugs RPC – NA

Grades
U.S. No. 1

Handling
Temperature: 43 to 45 F (7.2 to 10 C) Relative humidity: 85-95% Mist: no Typical shelf life: 7 to 10 days Ethylene-sensitive (Do not store or transport ethylene-sensitive items with commodities that produce ethylene.) Highly sensitive to freezing injury. (Likely to suffer injury by one light freezing.) Susceptible to chilling injury (Damage sometimes is not apparent until produce is returned to a higher temperature.) Do not ice or sprinkle product on display. Okra needs careful handling as it deteriorates and bruises easily. Average length of a pod is 1 1⁄2 to 3 inches.

A Plus Vegetable

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Vernon, 90058-3111 California

Berries:

Blueberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Asian Pears, Grapes

Midwest Foods

Overview (3) (0) (4)

Business Type:

Importer, Wholesaler, Foodservice

Location HQ:

Chicago, 60632 Illinois

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Figs

Jack Tuchten Wholesale Produce Inc

Overview (8) (0) (12)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Chicago, 60608 Illinois

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Cooks Company Produce Inc

Overview (4) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

San Francisco, 94124 California

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Coosemans LA Shipping

Overview (6) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Shipper, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Vernon, 90058-2402 California

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Asian Pears

Machi Fruits & Vegetables Inc, Tony

Overview (3) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Milwaukee, 53212 Wisconsin

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples

All Fresh Produce Co Inc

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Greensboro, 27407 North Carolina

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples

Melons:

Cantaloupe

Burris Farm Market

Overview (4) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Retailer

Location HQ:

Loxley, 36551 Alabama

Cooking Vegetables:

Cabbage, Eggplant, Okra, Onions, Bulb, Potatoes, Squash, Summer, Squash, Winter

Salad Vegetables:

Peppers, Bell, Cucumbers, Tomatoes

VANNA TROPICAL & EXOTIC FRUITS, INC.

Overview (2) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Exporter, Importer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Miami, 33122 Florida

Tropical Fruit:

Mangoes, Pineapple

Cooking Vegetables:

Eggplant, Okra, Peppers, Chili

Specialties:

Bitter Melon, Cherimoya, Chinese Okra, Ginger Root, Guava

T Castro Produce

Overview (3) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Chicago, 60609-3342 Illinois

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Okra

Okra

Commodity Overview

PLUs

Varieties

Facts

Sales Strategies

Dynamic Displays

Food Service

In the Backroom

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