Okra probably originated in West Africa and came to the Americas with the slaves. Okra pods should be harvested when they are young and tender. If okra is hard to cut with a sharp knife, it’s too tough for cooking.
I’m just learning the part about toughness. I bought some okra at the farmer’s market last Saturday. I cooked it and brought it to work for lunch and the tough ones were so hard and tough I couldn’t chew them. You learn something new every day!
Ways to cook okra:
Classic Fried Okra
In Gumbo
Boiled Okra
Pickled Okra
I sauteed mine in olive oil. Yum yum and not slimy as I didn’t cook them too long.
Here’s a recipe from the Pioneer Woman. Enjoy!
Artsy Wanderer 
I eat fried okra almost everyday in the summer. It and yellow squash are my favorites. If they’re tough they probably didn’t cut them soon enough. We cut them when about 3 inches or a little smaller when they’re very tender. Enjoy!!!
Fried okra is delicious. Sounds like you grow vegetables yourself.
We grow lots of vegetables. My wife still insists on canning and putting up much of it. We could go through Armageddon and have food to eat. Lol.
That’s really cool. I would love to do canning. Have never tried.