The Joys of Edamame

(Page 4 of 5)

June/July 2002
 
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David Cavagnaro recognizes another plus for gardeners who "shell out" their edamame for cooking: "Both 'Sayamusume' and 'Shirofumi' have big pods with big seeds, which makes then easier to shell than the other varieties."

RELATED CONTENT

Edamame
Seed sources

Jhonny's Selected Seeds
 (207) 437-4301 www.johnnyseeds.com 'Envy,' 'Butterbeans'

Territorial Seed Co.
(541) 942-9547 www.territorialseed.com 'Sayamusume,' 'Misono Green'

Fedco*
(207) 873-733 www.fedcoseeds.com 'Shirofumi'

*Fedco is the only U.S. supplier of "Shirofumi,' but its deadline for 2002 orders has passed.

'Butterbeans' was the real surprise in this test. Since 'Butterbeans' is derived from a cross between an American soybean and a Japanese edamarne, I suspected its flavor and quality wouldn't match the other purebred edamame varieties. However, it did well in all locations, with a harvest window just behind 'Envy' and 'Shirofumi,' and a buttery, sweet flavor almost as good as 'Shirofumi.'

'Misono Green' received less praise than the others, as its flavor was on the bland side and it wasn't early. It did, however, yield well, setting quite a few pods.

GROWING FOR YOUR REGION

Regionally, there were differences in these varieties' reaction to the environment. 'Envy' and 'Butterbeans' seemed to perform best in more northerly locations, with 'Envy' showing its early advantage in the cool coastal Washington summer. In trials performed in New Mexico by Seeds of Change. 'Envy' produced few harvestable pods and had yellowing leaves on spindly plants. Jeff McCormick of Garden Medicinals in Earlysville, Virginia, tried growing 'Butterbeans' a few years ago only to find an unappealing discoloration of the beans in the green-shell stage.

Margaret Crow, a homesteader near Southwest Ranches, Florida, plants her edamame in August or September for a winter crop and has had great success with 'Butterbeans,' demonstrating how a variety from another region can work if planted at the right time of year. However, she also grows 'Envy' under this regimen and its yields are still poor.

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