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Glycine max – Edamame

Edamame, Soja Bean, Soy Bean, Soybean, White Gram

Glycine max, Edamame, Soja Bean, Soy Bean, Soybean, White Gram

Prized for its nutrient-rich properties, Edamame (Soybeans) is a member of the pea (legume) family of vegetables and has been a staple of Asian cuisines for thousands of years.

Easy to grow and harvest in your vegetable garden, Edamame can be enjoyed as a healthy snack and makes flavorful additions to soups, stir-fries, noodles, and salads.

What are Edamame / Soybeans?

  • Soybeans are one of the most important world crops and are grown for oil and protein.
  • Edamame beans are immature soybeans harvested when young and tender.
  • Soybeans can be consumed in many ways (tofu, soymilk, sprouts, miso, soy sauce). Edamame beans are served fresh, often steamed, while still encased in their pod. They are eaten shelled.
  • Edamame is native to northeastern China, where the young soybeans have been cultivated for thousands of years.
  • Edamame is an upright, bushy annual legume with dark green leaves and small, white to purple-pink flowers blooming from mid-summer to fall.
  • They are followed by clusters of green, furry pods containing 2-4 plump, pale green beans.
  • Fully matured soybeans are light brown and are rather tasteless. Edamame beans are sweet and nutty.
  • Edamame has become a popular snack food and is regarded as an alternative source of protein to meat.
  • Fresh Edamame beans and pods are available in the summer, while frozen Edamame beans are available year-round.
  • Like most other beans, Edamame beans fix nitrogen and add nutrients that improve the soil, benefitting the plants that are growing beside them. Beans are great for heavy nitrogen users.
  • Popular Edamame cultivars include Agate, Black Jet, Envy, Early Hakucho, Shirofumi 90, and Madori Giant.

Health Benefits of Edamame

  • While Edamame has become a popular snack food, it also offers promising health benefits.
  • Low glycemic index: making it a good snack option for people with type II diabetes.
  • Proteins: one cup of cooked Edamame contains 37% of your daily protein needs. Proteins benefit a healthy immune system and help maintain healthy bones, hairs, organs, and muscles.
  • Soy Proteins, unlike animal proteins, help reduce bad cholesterol.
  • Folate: one cup of Edamame covers 100% of your daily folate needs. This B vitamin helps reduce the risk of certain birth defects and is also important for reducing depression.
  • Isoflavones: can reduce symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings) and prevent osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular illness.
  • Copper: one cup of Edamame contains 27% of your daily needs. Copper supports immune health, keeps nerve cells healthy, and forms collagen, which helps make up your bones and tissues.
  • Iron: one cup of Edamame contains 20% of your daily recommended intake. Iron can help prevent anemia.
  • Vitamin K1: one cup of Edamame contains 56% of your daily recommended intake. Vitamin K can help reduce cardiovascular disease risk by minimizing blood clotting.
  • Fiber: may help lower harmful cholesterol levels and improve your heart health. Fiber also helps regulate the digestive tract and keep your digestive system healthy.
  • Nutrition Facts (per 100 grams): 140 calories, 8.63 grams carbs, 11.5 grams protein, 7.57 grams fat, 5 grams fiber.

Cooking with Edamame

  • Edamame must be cooked before eating and is typically boiled (5-6 minutes) or steamed (3-8 minutes).
  • The shells are inedible and should be discarded after cooking.
  • Once cooked, the beans can be squeezed directly out of their pods and eaten lightly salted or mixed with flavorings.
  • In Japan, boiled Edamame is popularly served as a snack item with beer at bars.
  • Edamame can be eaten hot or cold and tossed into salads, soups, noodles, and stir-fries.
  • The beans can also be blended into hummus, pesto, artichoke dip, and other spreads, scrambled into eggs, or chopped into salsa.
  • Edamame beans are an excellent substitute for Fava beans, Lima beans, or green beans.

Growing Edamame

  • Edamame grows up to 2-3 ft. tall (60-90 cm) and 2-3 ft. wide (60-90 cm), depending on the variety. Like bush beans, Edamame plants are usually self-supporting and do not require staking.
  • Edamame performs best in fertile, acidic (pH of 6.0), moist, well-drained soils in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day) in a sheltered location.
  • If the soil lacks nutrients, add well-rotted organic matter or compost 2-4 weeks before planting.
  • While fairly drought-tolerant, Edamame plants will produce more if they are kept moist throughout the growing season.
  • Bean plants do require consistent and even moisture once they have formed flowers.
  • Depending on the variety, Edamame takes 75-110 days to harvest after planting.
  • Edamame is a warm-season crop that grows best between 60-70°F (15-21°C).
  • Sow seeds outdoors in the spring when the soil has warmed to at least 55°F (13°C) and air temperatures have reached at least 60°F (16°C).
  • Planting in cold, wet soil can cause soybean seeds to rot.
  • Sow ¼ to ½ of an inch deep (0.5-1 cm) and 2-4 inches apart (5-10 cm) in rows 2 feet apart (60 cm). Water thoroughly. Germination takes 1 to 2 weeks.
  • Thin seedlings to 6 inches apart (15 cm) when the plants are 4 inches tall (10 cm).
  • Weed around plants regularly and keep them well watered.
  • Beans are soil builders. They rarely need any fertilizer during the growing season.
  • Mulch to retain moisture, keep the soil cool, and control weeds.
  • Rotate crops: Prevent problems by not planting beans in the same location more often than every 3 years.
  • Edamame beans are susceptible to a few pests. Keep an eye out for aphids, Mexican bean beetles, root-knot nematodes, slugs, snails, stink bugs, whiteflies, and wireworms.
  • Edamame beans are susceptible to diseases, including anthracnose, powdery mildew, soybean rust, root rot, stem rot, stem blight, and white mold.

Harvesting and Storing

  • Harvest when the pods appear full and green.
  • Yellow pods mean that the Edamame beans are no longer at their peak in terms of flavor and texture.
  • Ripe soybeans are ready for harvesting when the leaves start to fall, often leaving just brown stems with plenty of hanging pods.
  • When harvested fresh, Edamame should be used immediately for the best flavor and will keep for 1 to 2 days when stored in the refrigerator.
  • Once cooked, the Edamame can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
  • Frozen Edamame will keep for 6 to 8 months.

Best Companion Plants

  • Celery and beans seem to help each other.
  • Collard intercropped with beans can increase the yield of both crops.
  • Corn benefits from the nitrogen added to the soil by the beans. Edamame planted near corn protects it against chinch bugs and Japanese beetles.
  • Cucumbers do well when planted with beans, as they are mutually beneficial.
  • Kale profits from being grown with nitrogen-fixing legumes like beans.
  • Marigolds attract beneficial insects that deter pests like Mexican bean beetles and whiteflies.
  • Potatoes protect beans from the Mexican bean beetle. In return, beans planted with potatoes protect them against the Colorado potato beetle.
  • Spinach benefits from the natural shade provided by the beans.
  • Summer squash benefits from the nitrogen added to the soil by the beans. The large leaves of the squash vines create a protective mulch that helps retain moisture while suppressing weeds.
  • Strawberries and beans are mutually helpful, both growing more quickly than if planted alone.
  • Swiss Chard and beans are mutually beneficial. The nitrogen-fixing legumes enrich the soil, while Swiss chard helps increase the chlorophyll production of the legumes.

Worst Companion Plants

  • Do not plant beans near garlic, onions, chives, leeks, scallions, shallots, peppers, wormwood, fennel, or gladioli.
  • Alliums such as garlic, onions, chives, leeks, scallions, and shallots will stunt the growth of the beans.
  • Most plants dislike fennel, and it has an inhibiting effect on them.

Requirements

Hardiness 2 - 11
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A1, A2, A3, H1, H2
Plant Type Annuals, Fruits
Plant Family Fabaceae
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height 2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread 2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Maintenance Average
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, City and Courtyard
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Recommended Companion Plants

Solanum tuberosum (Potato)
Apium graveolens var. dulce (Celery)
Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)
Zea mays (Corn)
Cucurbita pepo – Zucchini
Brassica oleracea Acephala Group (Kale)
Tagetes (Marigold)
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 2 - 11
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A1, A2, A3, H1, H2
Plant Type Annuals, Fruits
Plant Family Fabaceae
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height 2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread 2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Maintenance Average
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, City and Courtyard
How Many Plants
Do I Need?

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