Okra Water: Health Benefits and How to Make It
If you’re a gardener in a hot climate (like me), you may have grown okra and wondered what to do with the excess harvest. How about using the abundance to make okra water? In this blog post, I’ll share the health benefits and provide a simple okra water recipe to show you how to make and use it.
What We’ll Cover:
What is Okra Water?
Okra water is a simple homemade beverage made by soaking okra pods in water overnight. When sliced or whole okra is immersed in water, the soluble fibers and nutrients from the vegetable are infused in the water. Due to the natural mucilage found in okra, the drink is slightly thickened.
Consuming this beverage offers various health benefits, as it allows you to conveniently ingest some of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants present in okra.
Health Benefits of Okra Water
Okra water benefits include being an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.1 It can help boost your immune system, fight inflammation, and improve your heart health.2
This refreshing beverage contains a high amount of soluble fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C, which makes it a nourishing drink for your body. Here are some of the health benefits:
- Boosts immune system: Okra water contains vitamin C and other nutrients that can help strengthen your immune system and protect your body against infections, viruses, and diseases.
- Prevents constipation: The soluble fiber, which acts as a natural laxative, can help regulate bowel movements and reduce symptoms of constipation. It may contribute to weight loss.
- Regulates blood sugar levels and helps regulate blood sugar: If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, drinking it may help stabilize your blood sugar (blood glucose) levels and improve insulin sensitivity. The fiber in it slows down the absorption of sugar from your intestines into your bloodstream, preventing blood sugar spikes. People with type 2 diabetes may also benefit from this.
- Lowers cholesterol: The soluble fiber in it can also help reduce harmful cholesterol levels in your blood. By binding to bile acids in your gut, the fiber prevents them from being absorbed, forcing your liver to produce more bile from existing cholesterol, lowering your cholesterol levels.
Tips for Growing and Harvesting Okra
Okra is an easy crop to grow during the summer months, especially if you live in a warm climate. Learn how to grow okra in this blog post. If you are looking for more recipes that use okra, this post shares 7 of my favorite.
Okra water is a simple and affordable way to boost your health and enjoy the benefits of this nutritious vegetable. Whether you grow your own okra or buy fresh okra from your local farmers’ market, you can enjoy the many flavors and nutrients that okra has to offer. So try it and see how it can benefit your body and taste buds!
How to Use Okra Water
You can drink okra water as a refreshing beverage by adding ice cubes, lemon wedges, mint, herbs, or your favorite sweeteners. I like to use 2 parts water to 1 part okra water and add lemon, mint, and ice.
It can be used as a base for smoothies, juice blends, or tea infusions. It can also be used in recipes that call for liquid, such as soups, stews, and sauces.
When using okra water in cooking, remember that it has a neutral taste and can thicken liquids due to its natural mucilage. To avoid slimy textures, use it in moderation or mix it with other liquids.
More Information on the Health Benefits of Okra
- “7 Nutrition and Health Benefits of Okra.” Healthline, 17 February 2023, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/okra-health-benefits.
- “Okra: Health Benefits and Nutritional Information.” Medical News Today, 22 June 2018, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318595.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post about the potential health benefits of okra water is for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before changing your diet or lifestyle. The author and publisher of this blog post are not responsible for any adverse effects or side effects that may arise from using the information I’ve included here. If you are allergic to okra, you should not consume okra water.
Okra Water
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash the okra pods and remove the stems.
- Slice the okra pods in half or coarsely chop them.
- Place the okra in a jar or a large bowl and cover it completely with water.
- Refrigerate and let it sit overnight or for at least 8 hours. The water will turn slimy, slightly thick, and have a neutral or somewhat earthy taste.
- Once the water has infused with okra and turned into a gel-like substance, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- I like to use 1 part of okra water to 2 parts of regular water. Add lemon juice, lime wedges, mint leaves, or your favorite sweetener to the water to add flavor
- Store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
Video
Notes
The amount of okra you use will affect how thick and concentrated your okra water becomes. More okra creates a thicker, more gelatinous drink, while less okra keeps it lighter and watery. Feel free to experiment to find what you enjoy. If it becomes too thick, simply strain it through cheesecloth and add a little fresh water. Okra water will continue to thicken as it sits in the refrigerator. In my quart-size jars, I use about 5–8 okra pods, which results in a lightly thick consistency after soaking overnight.
Can the okra be fried or otherwise used?
After soaking in the water, the okra is still intact so you could try it – but I’m not sure how it would turn out. Let me know if you try using it.
@Angela Judd,
I used my leftover soaked okra this am in my southwestern hash for breakfast and it turned out great! Loving my okra water too! Thanks for the easy guide on what to do with this superfood!
Thanks! Good to know.
@Markie, yes, a popular dish in the south is okra cut up into pieces and then battered and fried.
Let me try this, thanks.
Let me try… thank you for educating me
Thanks for the good words,i would like to know if you can drink the okra water like everyday.Thanks
Good question. I didn’t see anything in my research to suggest otherwise, but you may want to check with a doctor / nutritionist to be sure.
What if I forget to strain the water B4 drinking?
It’s all good. Straining it just gets rid of the larger pieces. It’s all edible.
Can okra be fermented after it is used to make okra water?
Good question. I’m not sure how that would affect the texture/flavor. If you try it let me know what you think!
Please do you soak the okra with cold, warm or hot water?
I use tap water – usually room temperature.
Please will u start drinking after u’ve kept in the fridge for 3days or after straining
You can start drinking after straining. The okra water stays fresh in the fridge for 3 days.
@Angela Judd,
Thank you for the great post.
Another exciting thing that I have learned is that Okra can kickstart collagen production.
Thank you so much for this important information! I will be trying this very soon.
what if i dont have a refregerator?and after straining can one cook the sliced okra?
I would try to keep it cold to prevent spoilage. Yes, you can cook and use the okra afterwards.
It’s making me have 2 bowel movements a day!
How much to drink every day?
I’m not sure. See how you tolerate it. I don’t know the recommended amount.
Okra water can also be used as ovulation booster. Tested and Trusted.
How to use – 2 or 3 days After your monthly flow, cut okra Into a jar as show in picture, keep overnight. Shake well and drink first thing in the morning and last thing at night and come back and thank me :). Do this for 3-4 days before Ovulation day. I am not a scientist but this has worked for generations before us.
Will this work on overgrown okra. Went on vacation and came home to mega large okra. 2. Might soaking the oversized Okra in water tenderize them enough to cook with?
Yes! It’s a great way to use up okra that get’s too tough. You could try cooking them afterwards, but my guess is that it won’t. If you try it, let me know how it goes.
My favorite way to use okra is cut up okra, tomatoes, and whole kernel corn with a tomato base. Add some shrimp or sausage. Okra cornbread too!
Sounds good. I’ll have to give that a try.
Can you use frozen okra?
Absolutely.