What Is Edamame and How Do You Cook It?

Ingredients

• 250 g edamame (8.8 oz) (can be between 200-300 g)
• 40 g kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt) (1.4 oz, or 2 Tbsp + ½ tsp)
• 1000 ml water (4 ¼ cup)

Directions

Remove pods from the stems.

1. Measure the weight of edamame pods (if you do this once, you know the rough amount next time without measuring).
2. Now we’re ready to begin. Prepare 1000 ml water (4 ¼ cup) and 40 g kosher salt (1.4 oz, or 2 Tbsp + ½ tsp)
3. Start boiling water in a pot. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut off both ends of edamame pods. If the water starts boiling, cover and turn off the heat for now.
4. Place the edamame in a bowl or tray and sprinkle 1 Tbsp of (40 g) kosher salt. Rub the pods against each other with hands.
5. Add the rest of the kosher salt into the boiling water.
6. Then add the edamame pods WITHOUT removing the salt. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the pods. It’s easy to remember 4 minutes, but start checking the doneness after passing 3.5 minutes. Remember we do not run cold water on edamame after boiling so I recommend under-cooking slightly.
7. Stir occasionally to make sure all the pods are cooking evenly. If you see the foam forming on the water, remove it with a fine mesh skimmer because we do not wash the pods after cooking.
8. Drain water in the sink or scoop up the edamame pods to a sieve. Let cool naturally so the edamame can absorb the flavor (If you skip cutting the ends of pods, please leave it for at least 1 hour). If you like, sprinkle a little bit of salt (I used sea salt flakes). Enjoy!
9. If you want to preserve the edamame, cook the edamame and then freeze. You can defrost naturally but you can also quickly blanch in boiling water or use microwave to reheat.