August 4, 2019
Peak U Pick - including Edamame
By Linda Dansbury

July and August represent peak U Pick time. You can collect your U Pick allotment Mon-Sun 8am-8pm of your pick up week. Consult the U Pick board in the pick up room for current quantities. Please reuse the harvest containers and if you borrow the Farm's scissors, please return them after each use, so others can use them too.

A note about the blackberries - for the sweetest berries, pick the ones that are completely black and come off the plant with just a slight tug. If you have to really pull them, they are not fully ripe. Look toward the bottom of the plants and behind leaves too - they are plentiful!

Edamame will be available this week for the first time and will last about a month. Look toward the bottom of the plants for the plumpest beans. When you get them home, place them in a plastic bag in the fridge until ready to cook. To cook, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil and then add the edamame pods. Watch closely, because they have a tendency to boil over. Start testing for done-ness at 9 minutes. They are typically cooked to perfection by 11 minutes. Drain the beans and they are ready to eat! Place in a bowl and salt again - adding paprika, a flavored salt or another favorite spice is also yummy. Cooked beans will keep in the fridge for a few days, or freezer for a couple months. I do find that if I freeze them to use later, I prefer them to have already been shelled so I can use them in dishes that call for edamame, lima beans or fava beans.

There are several nice recipes using edamame on this site, including Soybean Hummus, Edamame Lo Mein, Edamame Succotash with Shrimp, and Edamame and Carrot Salad with Rice Vinegar.