My First Edamame

Hello, chefs! 😋

This year, for the first time, I planted soybeans in a field in late spring. Mainly because I've never tried edamame before, and I thought why not give this wonder a try :)

I got the seeds from my mother, who has been planting them for at least thirty years from the same seed, her own seed, so I am sure it's not genetically modified. And even if it were, I have no problem with that...

Soya is not used much in our country, the only thing I remember is that when we were little, my mother used to grind up dried soya beans and add and mix them to minced meat and make patties or burgers.

😋 😎 😋

What is edamame?

I came across the word a couple of times last year, and it is one of the most famous and delicious Japanese snacks.

Being curious, especially about food, and having been planting for the last few years, I couldn't help but go and see what it was. Edamame is unripened, still green soya beans, and is eaten as an appetizer or snack.

As I mentioned, in late spring, at the end of May, I planted soya bean seeds, three rows of ten meters each, in a field. I was skeptical, it seemed late, but within three months they had grown.

I have read that edamame is harvested between 90 and 150 days after sowing. The pods must be bright green.

Well, I picked them after three months, maybe even a little too late, some of the leaves were already yellow because of the drought...

😋 😎 😋

Preparation of edamame

The preparation is extremely simple. Luckily we have YT. What do we need?

edamame
soy sauce
a teaspoon of cornflour or starch
a tablespoon of shelled sesame seeds

As you can see from the pictures, edamame pods are very similar to green beans, but unlike green beans, they are not suitable for eating. They must therefore be shelled.
Because they are firm, this is almost mission impossible or takes a very long time before they are shelled. They must first be cooked in boiling water. Not for long. About 5-6 minutes.

Then drain them.
After 5 minutes in boiling water, the peels become soft and open a little.

And peel. I've read (watch) that in restaurants they serve unshelled edamame as an appetizer or snack, and then you shell them yourself, like peanuts or pistachios.
But I shelled them. Somehow they didn't look as good to me as they did on YT.

😋 😎 😋

Then prepare the sauce. Bring a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce and a couple of tablespoons of water to the boil.

Add a tablespoon of sesame seeds.

And concentrate it all with a teaspoon of cornflour or starch.

Pour the sauce over the beans and stir.

And finally, we serve.
Edamame is eaten with fingers.

I have to admit it was delicious.
I had to do it again because the rest of the family wanted more.

btw: I have picked up, from two lines, seven and a half kilos of edamame. I left another row in the field for the soya to ripen, so I'll have some for seed next year, or I'll mill it into flour, you know, there'll be a famine in the winter, they're threatening us from everywhere...

I have noticed, however, that if you leave the pods picked for a few days, the beans slowly change colour to yellow or ripen. As I have read (and I did) they need to be frozen. You can either freeze them raw or cook them first. It's up to you.

Thanks for your attention!

😋 📷 😋