Edamame For Me

Prior to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle in February of this year, I'd never tasted edamame. I'd heard of it years ago, but didn't pay it much mind and filed it away in my brain as one of those things that health food fanatics ate. Anyone who knows me, knows that I just eat what I want, without much regard to whether it's really good for me or not.

I'm not opposed to eating healthy food and of course, I eat some of that, too. It's just that I make no special effort when it comes to my diet. I'm a picky eater, but I will try new things, such as the kohlrabi that I ate for the first time last year and much to my surprise, found that I liked it. So when Danielle (from Proven Winners) offered a taste of her edamame at The Cheesecake Factory, I took her up on it.

17 July 2012

Edamame is now one of my favorite snacks and I was inspired to grow it myself this year. Growing it couldn't be easier and in this horrid summer of heat and drought, it performed better than I expected. I've no prior growing experience to compare it to, but I'm happy with how it's done. I harvested the first picking earlier this week and promptly cooked it up and had it for supper.

I think it's safe to say that edamame will now be a staple in my summer garden, along with those other vegetables I grow every year - green beans, beets, zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, and onions.

1 August 2012

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Edamame (Glycine max 'Sayamusume') has long been a favorite on dining tables in Japan. I bought my seed from Renee's Garden Seeds and they import theirs from there. Beans have a maturity date of approximately 85 days (although mine were ready much sooner) and are harvested when the soybeans are fully round and nearly touching in the pods. Pick them before the pods turn yellow or harden. Harvest time is relatively short - two, maybe three weeks long.

What do they taste like? I liken them to lima beans in flavor, except they're firmer, kind of nutty, and buttery. You can cook them and serve them in the pods, then tease the beans out with your mouth. Yes, they're finger food! Or you can shell them and serve them like other veggies, with butter and salt. They're especially good with sea salt, even when you serve them in the pods.

Edamame is high in protein, carbohydrates, fiber and many nutrients that include magnesium, folate, and vitamin K.

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*As a member of the Garden Writers Association (GWA), I received a selection of my choice of garden seeds from Renee's Garden Seeds, free of charge, which included these edamame seeds. I've purchased Renee's seeds on my own too, and have found them to be high quality seeds that give me good results in my Ohio garden.