To simplify processing and keep the slime, and oil from cooking, to a minimum: Half-freeze the pods before slicing into equal/thin sections. Have a gallon ziplock half-filled with corn meal ready and dump the slices in the bag and shake well, then freeze. Continue to add to the bag's contents as you pick.
When ready to cook (have oil heated - a few drops of bacon fat for flavor), dump contents of bag into collander to remove excess meal from okra slices. Cook fast, dump golden brown okra onto paper towels over newspaper on cookie pan and hold in 150° oven until ready to serve (pref. with smoked pork ribs, black-eyed peas and some fried green tomatoes).
Hate the stuff in gumbo, but fried is about as good as veggies get.