Chiba Green Edamame (Soybean)
An early, compact soybean variety with outstanding sweet flavor for fresh eating. (Used as edamame, green shell beans, usually steamed in the pod and shelled at table.) Compact plants are only 2' high, but bear a heavy yield of pods with 2 and often 3 beans per pod. Harvest is over a 10-day period, starting at the bottom of the plant. Commodity soybeans have been so exploited and corrupted, that it's really nice to see this non-gmo, open-pollinated variety with traditional flavor and quality.
Like all soybeans, these need warm soil for germination, so wait until soil reaches 65-80 degrees. Very sensitive to frost. Plant 3–4" apart. Make sure that they get adequate water during pod formation, from bloom on. You can cut whole branches rather than picking pods individually. Pods ripen from the bottom of the plant up, and are ready when filled out but still green, not yellowed. To serve, cook by steaming, then dunk in cold water to cool quickly. Can be frozen at that point, or served. Beans are shelled or squeezed out of the pods by each diner. Glycine max. 40 seeds per packet