Edamame information

[catjac1975]

Well for the first time I seem to have a great crop of edamame coming. They are not usually a northern crop but, I guess the hot summer has done well by them. When are they ripe? I've only had them steamed in the pod. Are there other ways to eat them?

 

[digitS']

Cathy, this is the first year out of the last 5, I guess it is, that I haven't had soybeans in the garden .

I hardly knew what a soybean looked like 5 years ago and had never eaten edamame. One variety of edamame is called "Beer's Friend." That has to be very, very well-named but I still haven't grown that particular one. I was very pleased with the taste of them just boiled in salted water. They are a bit messy to eat and it makes sense to enjoy them outdoors at a picnic table . . . with a beer .

I grew very early varieties - one from North Korea. They were sent to me from Wisconsin and only the North Korean and one from China did okay in my garden. Those 2 were really quite productive . . . as well as tasty!

My problem is that the season is very short. Edamame will quickly become overripe and I didn't have enuf weeks to succession sow them. You want them at the "shelly bean" stage. Everything - plant, pod, seeds - should be green when harvested. You should be able to crush the seed in your fingers but it should be fully formed and plump.

You know, tofu making takes quite a bit of time and effort! Edamame is soooo much easier but I didn't have 2 weeks to enjoy them before the seed was too mature and good only for tofu. Maybe I can get back to soybeans next spring and sow little patches of seed every few days for 2 or 3 weeks.

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

Steve u can grow different maturities that will come for a longer time. All maturities start blooming the same day, fuller season bloom longer and start pod development later

 

[catjac1975]

Steve-
Thanks so much. I have only had them purchased frozen in the store and so look forward to eating them fresh. I guess I can blanche and freeze them? I doubt I will have enough for tofu.
Cathy

 

[seedcorn]

An option, go visit with a farmer. He will sell u more than u can eat, thAen u have a choice of different maturities of pod development

 

[catjac1975]

They"re not grown around here.

An option, go visit with a farmer. He will sell u more than u can eat, thAen u have a choice of different maturities of pod development

 

[digitS']

Yes, and they aren't grown around here! Nary an acre that I know about.

My garden growing season would be coming to an end and - woosh - there were all the beans! Then, they were gone!

Blanching and freezing didn't even occur to me until after my 2011 harvest. I was curious where others were finding edamame. Duh, in the freezers at the stores! Oh yeah, they could be frozen and not just eaten fresh.

Well, I CAN make tofu but it isn't my favorite food in the world . . . On the other hand, edamame is really good! I get so used to eating fresh veggies by late in the season that the soybean harvest would just kind of slip right thru my fingers each year and I'd be left with more dry beans than I cared to have!

I hope frozen edamame is as good as straight-from-the-garden. Gotta try.

Steve

 

[plainolebill]

Steve, I'm not crazy about tofu either but I like tempeh a lot. It looks easy enough to make other than taking the skin off the beans.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

What is edamame? Never heard of it and google doesn't seem to know either.

 

[so lucky]

What is edamame? Never heard of it and google doesn't seem to know either.

Immature soybeans that are prepared by steaming or boiling.