Edamame- what gives?

[Clarkafella]

Whenever I buy edamame at the grocery, it is only available a) frozen, and b) imported from China.

Now I know for sure that there are thousands and thousands of acres of soybeans growing within a hundred miles of where I live- would they be the same kind that are imported? If they are, I'm pretty sure I could get a years supply for probably $10 or so- is there anything special that I would have to do before freezing them?

[Akitist]

Generally soybeans are harvested mature, while edamame are at an earlier phase, so you might have a conflict in what's available. Edamame are boiled in brine, in the pod, so you should do that before freezing them.

[janniecooks]

This doesn't answer your question, but there is at least one US source for frozen edamame; my local Publix carried both the US-grown Sunrich brand and the Seapoint Farms imported from China, but now all it carries is the edamame from China. I've made multiple requests to the store manager for the US-grown product, apparently falling on deaf ears. Maybe if more people registered their preference for US-grown beans eventually it will be effective.

FWIW, Johnny's Selected Seeds, as well as other sources, sells a soybean variety to grow for your own supply of edamame.

[Clarkafella]

Thanks- growing my own might be a way to go- on the other hand, it might be nice to run out to a farm early in the season and pick a couple of bushels! I can't believe that they bring soybeans all the way across the ocean when they are so plentiful here!

[Nyleve]

I grew them the last two summers and they do very well (in Ontario). You do have to buy the appropriate variety of seed. They're easy and absolutely delicious freshly steamed.

[hannaone]

http://www.evergreenseeds.com/edsoyed.html

http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_soy...

[btimbs]

The beans you see growing are NOT edamame beans which are an edible soybean. The ones you see are used for animal feed or ground up after drying for human consumption. Edamame is the only soy bean to be eaten when GREEN.

[alkapal]

some soybeans are not edible?

[Clarkafella]

Yeah, that's kind of what I was wondering. Why would anyone grow them?

[coney with everything]

Ford is using soybeans to make "green" seat foam:
http://gas2.org/2008/04/09/ford-ditch...

[alkapal]

clarkafella was asking the rhetorical question.

of course there are *other * uses, but a soybean is a soybean (i.e., edible).

are there inedible soybean varieties?

[Sooeygun]

According to this article http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/edibl...

"Edible soybeans are used for making tofu, tempeh, soynut snacks, and other foods. These beans differ from field soybeans by being larger-seeded, milder-tasting, more tender, and more digestible. They also contain a lower percentage of the gas-producing starches."

Perhaps it is like the difference between cow corn and sweet corn. Some varieties are for animal feed and some are for human consumption.

[alkapal]

yes, that makes sense -- some varieties are better "eatin'". but it is not like we *can't* eat "cow corn" in a pinch. ;-).

~~~
for your viewing pleasure:

"give it to me baby, unh uh -- uh unh." http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1148980/2/istockphoto_1148980_cow_eating_corn.jpg

and to guffaw, look at this and find which one "does not belong." LOL!
http://images.google.com/images?clien...

[kubasd]

the song from sesame street popped into my head... "one of these things is not like the other, one of these things doesn't belong" but seriously alka, the second one is hilarious and i laughed out loud.

and to go to the original topic.... seapoint farms is from china??? wow i really thought it was from the us. that'll teach me to read my labels better. I always buy their lightly salted edamame in pods are sooo good!

[paulj]

and probably picked earlier.

[cornflower55]

field soybeans and vegetable soybeans are both edible. but field soybeans are usually used for oil and animal feed. only a small percentage of soybean crops are used for human eating.

edamame (as others have said) requires young, green soybean pods.

the us and brazil are the world's largest soybean exporters. china accounts for 40% of the world's soybean imports.

[Rojellio]

Vegetable oil in poly methal di-isocyanate + poly amine {Urethane} foam, and resin is NOTHING new. The "B" component of Urethane has always been a vegetable oil base. Urethane isnt greener that it already was. Some might say it wasnt green to begin with.

[Rojellio]

I grow my own with extra space left after planting Tomato & Peppers. Its easy to plant... buy a bag of soybeans at Whole Foods,throw them on the ground, lightly rake over the area to cover seeds, and watch them grow.

[Nyleve]

The dry soybeans you buy for cooking - do they turn out the same as edamame? I haven't tried that. I've always bought specific seeds.

[Rojellio]

As far as I know. I haven't paid the premium price for the ones a the the grocery store, so I don't know the flavor comparison. The Soybeans I have grown taste like sugar snap peas.

[Nyleve]

That's great to know. I may grow a row of ordinary dry beans and a packet or the special edamame ones to see what the difference is.