Growing edamame

The best appetiser to order in a Japanese restaurant is lightly boiled edamame - basically immature soybeans in a pod. They can be so addictive, it's hard to believe that something so tasty can be so good for you.

Growing them at home is easier than you can imagine. I've grown many batches of edamame in my garden using the humble dried soybean that's easily available at the stores. It's the same kind of soybean that is used for making soup, soy milk or beancurd.

Last week, I soaked 100 beans overnight before putting them in a planter the next day. Soaking the beans will expedite the germination process.

You might think that 100 beans is way too many. I think the figure is just right. Out of my 100 beans, only 30 germinated after 3 days. Some might still germinate later but one should always expect some beans or seedlings to die or get chewed up by grasshoppers, snails or birds.

Even if 10 plants manage to grow into adults, don't expect the harvest to be too impressive.

Grow them in a large pot with access to direct sunlight. They don't take up much space, so anyone with a small garden should be able to grow this successfully. They're fast growers, so you can expect to eat the pods in about a month and a half.