When Should I pick edamame or soybeans? Harvest soybeans the moment you see the bottom leaves start to turn yellow but the rest of the plant is green. The entire plant will turn rapidly so don’t waste any time because the beans will be too tough to eat. Pick em fast (see pics below) 1 day and they can turn brown.
How do I store fresh picked edamame or soybeans? Here are some easy steps to save edamame:
1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Boil beans for 5 minutes – This stops the enzymes and maturation process.
2. Remove from water and dry with a paper towel – By drying them they won’t all be stuck together in the freezer.
3. Place beans in freezer bag and store in freezer.
Great picture taken by Studio SPC
Stop……Pepper time!
Other stuff growing on the farm this week: 
Thanks for the tip on picking soybeans. I always wondered why the darn things are so hard when I pick em off the dry vine to taste.
What kind of butterfly will this caterpillar become?
I think it’ll be a moth. Usually, a furry caterpillar will become a moth and a smooth caterpillar will become a butterfly.
What do you know about Brussels sprouts? This is my first year planting them. Some have a lot on them and some plants don’t. I was just wondering if you had any experience with them.
I haven’t grown Brussels sprouts yet… Maybe someone visiitng this post can help ya…
I’m no expert but…..
I managed to have what I would consider my first success with brussel sprouts last winter (in a makeshift poly tunnel in zone 7 north Georgia. http://cohutt.com/tag/brussel-sprouts/ )
I learned rich soil, even watering and patience helps a lot.
I top the plants once they are a good size and small sprout “buds” have appeared. The sprouts fatten up more quickly and evenly. I also snap or cut off the lower leaves from the bottom up as the sprouts appear.
Mine never seamed to be ready at the same time, ie they gradually fattened from the bottom up so we nipped a few from various plants periodically and enjoyed regular small batches of fresh sprouts all winter here.
If you like cabbage try using the leaves in cooked in the same way. They have a similar taste and I’ve used them in winter stir-fry experiments successfully and as wraps for stuffed mini cabbage rolls. The small leaves that make up the crown are very sweet and tender, so once frost hits the plants and you top them, be sure to use these, you wont’ be disappointed..
Lovely time of year isn’t–to see the ripening.
How do you cure basil for later use?
You can either dry it out (in sun, dehydrator or oven) freeze them in a baggie or make basil ice cubes.
Basil ice cubes? Do elaborate. 🙂 Thank you.
Take fresh basil, cut it up and place in an ice cube tray. Cover with water and freeze. Viola! Basil ice cubes. I pop em in soup and other dishes all winter long.
a great and useful tip – thanks
Thanks for the tips!
I prefer to store basil by freezing chopped bits. You blend up fresh basil with a bit of lemon juice (to keep it green) and then freeze it in ice cube trays. When I need a bit of basil flavouring, I can pop a cube into a sauce. If I want to make pesto, I take out maybe 3 cubes, defrost it and blend it with olive oil, pine nuts, grated parmesan cheese, garlic and some parsley (or other fresh greens) and it’s perfect.
Here’s my experiment with it http://laurarittenhouse.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/penultimate-basil-harvest/
The cubes kept for months – they did get a bit dried out in the trays so I popped them all out and put them in a plastic bag (saved space that way as well). Because of the way they are used, the slight drying didn’t matter.
You have a marvelous garden this year. Mine was oh so disappointing this year. Wierd spring, hot, wet summer and I cannot wait for frost! Kudos to your gardening talents!
Thanks for the tips. 🙂
Wonderful photos of a healthy garden! Mine definitely underwhelmed me this year, but you give me inspiration. I’ll try again next time! 🙂 Debra
Thanks for the info on soybeans because I’m planning to grow them next year. The photos are beautiful. They make me wish I lived on a farm, but at least I have enough room to have a productive garden in town.
Great photos. I’ve never grown soya beans as I don’t much like them dried, but your hints on fresh make me think I’ll have another go. Thanks. Reutersramblings: you can’t eat your sprouts – yet! They’ll taste a lot better when they’ve felt the first frosts on them, and in fact you can leave the plants in the ground all winter and harvest as you need them, which makes them so useful when there’s so little else around that’s harvestable
Thanks for this! I have edamame beans growing in my garden too, wasn’t sure how they’d get on with English climate but they seem to be doing ok! Your advice is really helpful, and your garden looks great!
LOVE your little chicken whisperer!
Your photographs are wonderful and enlightening.
Always great photos and tips! Your blog is one that I truly look forward to new posts on. (and the basil ice cube trick is one of my favorites to share with people!)
That black and white photograph of Zoey is sooooo adorable! We should have made another trip out to your garden to see all of your wonderful plants! Thanks for the great blog post!
Reblogged this on KafeMandela and commented:
Never thoguht about growing Edamame, now I think I could!
Reblogged this on frugallifeblog.
mmmm…now I want some edamame! =)
Oh I am so jealous. I have never successfully grown edamame. I finally gave up.
I love the old school chookyard picture :). Ever thought of growing Tepary beans? I have been doing a bit of research and they will grow with very little water and yeild a good quality legume native to the U.S.A. I am going to plant them here in Tasmania this year. They appear to be having a bit of a resurgence due to their incredibly waterwise ability to grow in the desert (thanks to incredible tap roots).
Reblogged this on filmmakingandcookiebaking and commented:
Just starting growing Edamame, one of my favorites! … Thanks Soulsby farm for sharing
Reblogged at Filmmakingandcookiebaking
I haven’t had much luck with soybeans or chickpeas (which I’d LURVE to grow) and my Lupini beans this were a total, wilty disaster BUT fava beans and I are like this (picture me crossing my fingers tightly).
Favas and I have an…understanding!
Reblogged this on YouNanaBread and commented:
Good info on when to harvest if you have your own little garden.
Glad you found my blog and I thus found yours! Fellow farmer… although we are traditional farmers growing corn and soybeans in NW Ohio… we too have concerns about GMO but at this point find it difficult to do anything else.
Enjoy your stories and ideas. A local community outreach center near here has garden plots that others may use to grow produce.,,,, garden is located in the middle of small village… area donated by the local bank!
My daughter has requested an edaname experiment for 2013 (I had to look it up only to be surprised I’m surrounded by fields of it here aka “soybeans” duh.
I have researched a little and see there are a few varieties- what type did you plant? Any suggestions or comment on these vs others you may have tried?
Hello, I have just nominated your blog for the One Lovely Blog Award:
http://brissiemaz.me/2012/10/06/one-lovely-blog-award/
I would be honoured if you accepted the nomination.
Mary (Brissiemaz)