Introducing recipes for freezing and thawing edamame beans [Explanation with photos! ]

Have you ever bought edamame for a snack but ended up with some left over?

Edamame is a useful snack for beer and to add color to dishes, but the amount you use at one time is surprisingly small.

If you are worried that you won't be able to eat all the food and have some left over, you can store it in the freezer, either in the pod or just the fruit.

This time, we will introduce how to freeze and thaw edamame.

Advantages of freezing edamame

Can be stored for a long time

There are two advantages to freezing edamame. One is that it can be stored for a long time.

If frozen, it can be stored for about a month without losing its flavor.

Cooking can be done in less time

Another thing is that cooking can be done in less time.

By heating it gently in the microwave, you can make snacks right away, and you can also use it frozen if you want to add color to your dishes.

Freezing method

When freezing whole pods

1) Wash the edamame and cut both ends of the pod. Sprinkle salt on the beans and rub them to remove the downy hairs from the edamame.

2) Pour water into a pot, heat it, and once it boils, boil the edamame for about 2 minutes until firm. Once it's boiled, drain it in a colander to remove the heat.

3) Once the edamame has cooled down, put it in a freezer bag, flatten it, remove the air well, and then put it in the freezer.

When freezing only the fruit

1) Wash the edamame thoroughly. Pour water into a pot, heat it, and when it boils, add a little salt and boil the edamame for about 2 minutes until firm. Once it's boiled, drain it in a colander to remove the heat.

2) Once the edamame has cooled down, remove the pods from the edamame and take out the beans.

3) Place the beans in a freezer bag, flatten them, remove the air well, and then put them in the freezer.

*The amount of salt added to the hot water is said to be about 4% of the amount of edamame. You can use this as a guideline and fine-tune it according to your preference.

Thawing method and storage period

How to defrost edamame

If you have stored frozen edamame in the pod, you can thaw it by heating it in the microwave or by boiling it briefly in boiling water.

If you freeze only the fruit, you can heat it in the microwave, boil it and defrost it, or you can use it frozen for some dishes.

Edamame storage period

The shelf life of frozen edamame is approximately one month. If you don't care about the flavor, it will last for several months, but it is better to use it up as soon as possible.

>> 3 points to keep in mind when preserving vegetables

A nutritionist explains! About nutrition

Edamame nutrition
Edamame are soybeans that are harvested while they are still immature. It is a vegetable rich in vitamin B₁, vitamin C, and potassium. It also contains beta-carotene, which is not found in soybeans.

It is effective for a body tired from summer by regulating the amount of water in the body and aiding energy metabolism.

Ingredients that are good for women
Edamame, like soybeans, contains isoflavones. Isoflavones act similar to the female hormone estrogen, and are effective in increasing breast size and relieving symptoms of menopause.

It also contains ingredients such as folic acid and iron that are effective for people with anemia and pregnant women. Folic acid is especially high in vegetables, and 100g of edamame can provide half of your daily requirement.

Dadacha beans have a lot of ornithine!
Ornithine is a nutrient that has a fatigue recovery effect and is also contained in clams. It also has the effect of promoting the secretion of growth hormone, and can be expected to have beautiful skin and rejuvenating effects.

Dadacha beans contain several times more ornithine than freshwater clams, so after drinking alcohol,
Perfect for when you're tired.

☑美味しい枝豆の選び方
1.枝がついているもの
2.ひげ根が少なく、硬さがあるもの
3.さやが緑色で、ふっくらとしているもの

5 easy recipes using frozen edamame

Colorful edamame rice balls

☑＜材料（おにぎり３個分）＞
・実だけ冷凍保存にした枝豆適量
・あたたかいごはん茶碗2杯分
・鮭のフレーク適量
・塩こんぶ適量
・マヨネーズ適量
・塩少々

<How to make>
1) Defrost frozen edamame by heating gently in the microwave.
2) Chop the salted konbu.
3) Add edamame, salmon flakes, and salted konbu to a bowl and mix.
4) Add mayonnaise and mix again.
5) Add warm rice and mix roughly with a rice paddle.
6) Put some salt on your hands and hold a rice ball.
7) Pour into a bowl and it's done.

These colorful rice balls are perfect for lunch boxes.

Edamame and squid salad

☑＜材料（4人分）＞
・実だけ冷凍保存にした枝豆適量
・イカ100グラム
・きゅうり2本
・もやし200グラム
・生姜　少々
・しょうゆ大さじ2
・砂糖大さじ2
・だしの素4グラム

<How to make>
1) Add all seasonings to a bowl and mix.
2) Prepare the squid and cut into rounds.
3) Slice the cucumber into rounds.
4) Boil frozen edamame and bean sprouts in boiling water for about 3 minutes, drain in a colander to remove heat.
5) Add all ingredients and toppings and mix roughly.
6) Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
7) Pour into a bowl and it's done.

Chill as much as possible to bring out the flavor. This is the perfect salad for midsummer.

Easy edamame mayonnaise

☑＜材料（2人分）＞
・実だけ冷凍保存にした枝豆適量
・卵2個
・マヨネーズ小さじ2
・牛乳小さじ2
・ケチャップ少々

<How to make>
1) Crack the eggs into a heat-resistant container and mix well.
2) Add frozen edamame to it and mix gently.
3) Add mayonnaise and milk and mix well.
4) Don't cover the heat-resistant container with plastic wrap, put it in the microwave and heat it at 500W for about 1 minute.
5) Serve in a bowl, add ketchup if you like, and it's done.

This is a time-saving edamame dish that you can make quickly when you want one more dish.

Rice cooked with edamame and hijiki

☑＜材料（4人分）＞
・実だけ冷凍保存にした枝豆適量
・米2合
・ひじき10グラム
・にんじん適量
・油揚げ1枚
・だしの素4グラム
・しょうゆ大さじ2
・酒大さじ2
・みりん大さじ1
・塩少々

<How to make>
1) Drain the rice, drain it in a colander, and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
2) Soak the hijiki in water.
3) Cut the carrots and fried tofu into desired sizes.
4) Prepare frozen edamame while still frozen.
5) Add water to all ingredients and mix well. Add all seasonings and mix well.
6) Turn on the rice cooker and start cooking.
7) Once cooked, mix thoroughly with a rice scoop.
8) Pour into a bowl and it's done.

You can eat it as is or make it into rice balls after it cools down.

Edamame croquette

☑＜材料（2人分）＞
・実だけ冷凍保存にした枝豆400グラム
・ひき肉100グラム
・卵1個
・小麦粉適量
・パン粉適量
・オリーブオイル大さじ1
・塩少々
・こしょう少々

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen edamame by heating gently in the microwave.
2) Once the edamame has cooled down, put it in a food processor and make a paste until only grains remain.
3) Add minced meat to the edamame paste and mix well while adding salt and pepper.
4) Divide this into 4 portions and shape into flat oval croquettes.
5) Dip each layer in flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs in that order.
6) Heat up the oil in a frying pan and fry the croquettes.
7) When both sides are browned, take them out.
8) Pour into a bowl and it's done.

This is the main dish. This is a dish with an irresistible flavor of edamame.

Conclusion

How was it? When edamame is in season, supermarkets sell piles of edamame.

It is a classic ingredient that is indispensable as a midsummer beer snack.

It looks beautiful, so you can add a little bit of it to your dishes to add color.

There are also a variety of dishes that use edamame, so please use the frozen recipes we introduced here as a reference and try your hand at making edamame dishes that are different from your usual edamame dishes.

>> Click here for how to freeze meat

>> Click here for how to freeze fish

>> Click here for other ways to freeze vegetables