Soy Beans

These are not the rock stars of the garden. They quietly grow, adding nitrogen to the soil, until all the pods are ready to pick about the same time. You plant them like any other bean – a couple inches apart, then thin them if necessary. I planted them in the same raised bed as the bush beans and the sugar snap peas. Next year, I’ll plant the potatoes in that raised bed because of all the nitrogen the beans and peas add to the soil.

We picked them yesterday  – pulled up plants and all. Then I made edamame. We had enough to eat ourselves sick, and freeze two bags for later.

EDAMAME

1 lb fresh edamame in pods, or frozen edamame in pods

2 Tbsp or more Kosher salt  

Wash soy beans in a bowl of water. Cut off the stem end of each pod. This could take forever. Turn on some tunes and sing, practice number games in your head, something.

As you cut off each end, put in the pod in another bowl and salt each layer with Kosher salt.  (If you are using frozen edamame, start from the next step.) Boil lots of water in a large pot. Add about 2 Tbsp of salt in the boiling water. Put edamame in the boiling water and boil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Drain edamame in a colander. Taste one edamame and if it's not salty enough, sprinkle more salt over boiled edamame. Spread the edamame on a flat tray to cool. Then eat them till your blood pressure shoots up from all the salt.