EDAMAME SOYBEAN - 1781

Var. Karikachi. The soybean plant (Glycine max) is an annual herbaceous plant native to East Asia; it produces numerous pods containing approximately three medium-sized grains. This plant also grows in Italy, especially in areas where it can benefit from irrigation and where summer temperatures do not exceed 30°C, although it can tolerate temperatures as high as 40°C. It grows well in the Po Valley, in areas where corn is traditionally grown, although this plant also adapts and is productive in central and southern Italy.

The soybean planting period begins in early May and ends in mid-June with the planting of the earliest varieties. The plants are very hardy and, if properly watered, will have no problem growing healthily and producing abundant pods.

During vegetative growth, be sure to eliminate any weeds growing around the plants by hoeing or pulling them out by hand.

Seed soybeans are harvested towards the end of September, when the plants have lost their leaves and are brownish in color. When you shake the pods, you can hear the seeds moving inside.

If you're growing soybeans to harvest the edamame, the plant's immature pods, you'll need to start a few months earlier. In this case, harvesting begins between mid-July and August. Edamame is the name given to immature soybean pods. They're ready for harvest when they turn bright green and are filled with fleshy seeds. Yellowing on the pods is a sign that you've left them on the plants too long. If not harvested promptly, the seeds begin to develop a bitter taste and a stringy texture, making them inedible. Mature edamame pods are hard and dry and are used to make soy milk and tofu.