EDAMAME

Photo credit: Thadah

Edamame are young soy beans still in their tender, green pod. They are harvested when the beans are soft and sweet, not hard and dry like the soy beans used to make tofu and soy milk.

They’re a wonderful crop for farmers because they double as a cover crop. Edamame plants fix nitrogen from the air to make it available in the soil. We can then harvest the beans for you to enjoy as a protein rich and versatile vegetable.

HOW TO COOK:
To cook edamame in their pod, simply boil in salted water for a few minutes. Once tender, drain and serve! To eat them, squeeze the beans into your mouth—and have a bowl set aside for the empty pods which are not meant to be eaten. They’re delicious hot or at room temperature as a snack.

If you prefer them out of their pod, you can boil them as before, let them cool and then take the time to hull them. Hulled edamame can then be used in a variety of delicious ways: pureed with some oil and seasoning into a dip, sauteed with sesame oil and garlic and drizzled with soy sauce, or mixed into a grain salad or lettuce salad.

Find more Edamame cooking ideas here.