You’ll find them in Japanese and Asian restaurants where they are usually served salted and at room temperature. Typically, you eat the beans inside and discard the pods. Check your grocery or specialty foods store – they can sometimes be found in the frozen foods aisle.

In Chinese, young soybeans in the pod are known as maodoujia which literally translates as “hairy bean pod.” No matter what you call them, they are a specific species of soybean grown for early harvesting and are different than soybean crops grown specifically for their mature beans.

Cook them by steaming or boiling for 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t overcook – you don’t want a bunch of mush.

We are used to seeing edamame served salted at Japanese restaurants but edamame without salt is equally delicious.

Edamame calories are high in protein, fiber and potassium. According to http://www.soygrowers.com, soy beans are the world’s foremost provider of protein and oil.

Edamame in the Shell © Seapoint Farms

10. “Healthy” is the first word that should come to mind with edamame – they are a low-fat, low-cholesterol, and high-protein food.  What more can you ask for: easy preparation, super taste and high nutrition value?
9. Look for bags of frozen edamame in your local specialty food or health food store.
8. Edamame are popular in Japan and China but are catching on in the US – you will find them served as appetizers in Japanese and Chinese restaurants.
7. Worried about edamame calories?  You shouldn’t be.  There are only 125 calories per 100 grams.
6. Farmers in Kentucky and other states are now growing edamame.  The USDA has an interesting web page discussing US growing of edamame.
5. US products include those by Woodstock Farms, Trader Joe’s and Seapoint Farms.  You can buy Seapoint Farms products online from Amazon.
4. Grow your own edamame!  Buy seeds from Wannamaker Farms or other vendors online (See the “Grow Your Own” section below).  You can grow edamame just about anywhere in the US.
3. Edamame nutrion equals soy foods nutrition since they are made from the same thing.  There is a great facts sheet at soyfoods.org which discusses all aspects of soy-related nutrition issues.
2. Sprinkle the edamame with lemon juice after cooking or add soy sauce/tamari to the water when cooking to subtly enhance their flavor.
1. Edamame, maodoujia, vegetable soybeans, beer beans, sweet beans,  garden soybeans, green soybeans, immature soybeans, edible soybeans – they are all the same thing.

Edamame: 60 Tempting Recipes Featuring America’s Hottest New Vegetable – “These tasty beans are highlighted in 60 mouthwatering recipes. Whet your taste buds with Grilled Tomatoes with Edamame and Goat Cheese, Flank Steak with Jeweled Salsa, Balsamic Glazed Winter Vegetables, or Warm Scallop and Edamame Salad. Not just delicious, these recipes are packed with nutrients. But health benefits are just a bonus because the recipes are ones that any chef would be proud to serve his diners. No bland health food here but instead rich appetizers like guacamole and creamy soups such as Thai Seafood Bisque. Although the market has many cookbooks, this is the first to focus completely on Edamame-America’s Hottest New Vegetable.”

Soy of Cooking: Easy-to-Make Vegetarian, Low-Fat, Fat-Free, and Antioxidant-Rich Gourmet Recipes – “Soy of Cooking Now, you can create elegant meals that are as healthy as they are delicious. Soy of Cooking is a gourmet guide to preparing savory meatless dishes that incorporate nutrient-rich soyfoods into your diet—high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, as well as fiber and vitamins. With more than 170 enticing recipes, this innovative cookbook shows how to combine creative techniques and easy-to-find soyfoods to make healthy starters, main dishes, desserts, and more with tempting, artful presentations. Soy of Cooking defines 30 new and traditional soyfoods, most of which can be found in supermarkets and health food stores around the country. It also includes a guide to useful cooking techniques, tips on using spices,and soyfood exchange information.”

A few varieties include: “Envy”, “Besweet 2020″, “Beer Friend”, “Butterbaby”, “Butterbeans”, “Early Hakucho”, “Green Pearls”, “Misono Green”, “Shironomai”, “Tohya”  Seed companies that carry Edamame:  vermontbean.com, johnnyseeds.com, and Wannamaker Farms. Here are some direct links to buy seeds on Amazon.com: Edamame Green Soybean Seeds 50 Seeds at Amazon and Soybeans Edamame Black Seeds 7 Grams at Amazon

Soybean Plants © ARS/USDA

Growing your own healthy low-calorie edamame is easy.  Here is one person’s discussion of growing soy bean plants in flower pots on their deck.  Of interesting note in this blog post: soybeans have small root systems and thus you can plant them close together – in 2 inch spacings.  They put six plants in a large flower pot – lots of beautiful foliage and lots of edamame pods!

If you often find yourself in coveralls driving a tractor, then you will find the USDA page on growing edamame as a row crop more informative.

Finally, you will find this article at the National Garden Bureau web site to be most informative: history, seed varieties, growing and harvesting are all covered.

There is also a sugar-free cousin to the Tootsie Roll which contains a just only 20 calories fewer.

You can view complete calorie and nutrient information on our Tootsie Roll USDA data page.

The Toosie Roll Industries Web Site

Promotions: When we reviewed http://tootsie.com, we found a contest to win $50,000 if you can guess the number of licks it takes the average person to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. There is no purchase necessary and you can enter here: http://www.tootsie.com/promotions.php

The Tootsie Store: Yes, you can buy clothing, jewelry, pillows, gift certificates and more online. Hmmm, a Tootsie Roll salt and pepper shaker set?

Factory Tour: Their web site has 9 videos showing how their candy is made, plus a video discussing THE important question: How many licks does it take to get the center of a Tootsie Pop? Important, yes, but after 20 or more years discussing this, I think they need a new marketing campaign.

Ringtones: Ok, this is where it is at. I don’t even have a cell phone, but if I did, Tootsie Pop #4 would be my ringtone. What? No Tootsie ROLL ringtones?

Video/Commercials: The Tootsie web site has a good selection of vintage commercials and video clips. Groovy stuff. One gets the impression that their advertising has not changed much in the past few decades.

Retro 1970s Tootsie Roll Commercial. This one is also on the Tootsie webs site.

This is listed as a 1980s commercial. Obviously much older.

1959 commercial for Tootsie Pops. Black and white, of course.

1950s commercial with Howdy Doody and Buffalo Bob. CAUTION! This might be really scary if you didn’t live through the 1950s.

PAUL WINCHELL PREVIEW and TOOTSIE ROLL COMMERCIAL from the 50s. You might think the 1950s was little more than a ventriloquism act.

The Sweet Taste of Success?

Save a little money back after buying that bag of Tootsie Rolls – maybe you would like to buy a few shares of their stock. Yes, they are a publicly traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange where they are known as “TR.” When we wrote this article in late July 2009, the stock was trading around $25 per share.

• Do you have the room? Single people can live in small places and don’t always have the room to store themselves let alone bulk purchases. Choose your bulk wisely.
• Are you moving anytime soon? Are you moving in 3 months while stocking up on supplies for a year? You will have to move your bulk goods and you will have to store them.
• Once you open the bulk container can you use all the servings before they go bad without getting sick of the stuff?

Take a look at what you use on a regular basis and see if you could possibly buy it bulk. To get my bulk items I shop at Big Lots, Sam’s Club and the Dollar Store. I go to Sam’s and the Dollar Store once every 6 to 8 weeks and Big Lots every 3 to 4 weeks. Buying bulk saves me time, money and the annoyance of running out of stuff.

Bulk Up Around The House

Bathroom
The only thing I am super particular about in the bathroom is my shampoo, deodorant and face sun block. I like Burt’s Bees, Lady Speed Stick and Neutrogena Age Shield Face. Other than that I don’t have much brand loyalty and will buy what is on sale with grapefruit being the preferred aroma for body products.

• Body Wash – buy large sizes and 2 for 1’s at Big Lots or Sam’s Club
• Shampoo – use Burt’s Bees so buy when/where I find on sale
• Face Wash – buy at Big Lot’s they usually have some St. Ives Facial Scrub
• Suntan Lotion – buy large sizes at Big Lot’s or Sam’s Club. Use as moisturizer in summer
• Deodorant – buy multiples at the Dollar Store when they have Lady Speed Stick
• Toothpaste – buy large sizes and 2 for 1’s at Big Lots or Sam’s Club
• Mouthwash – buy large sizes and 2 for 1’s at Big Lots or Sam’s Club
• Toilet Paper – buy large packages at Big Lots
• Disposable Razors – buy large packages at the Dollar Store
• Hand Soup – buy large sizes and 2 for 1’s at Big Lots or Sam’s Club

Kitchen
Being single and having a small kitchen doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy saving money and time with bulk purchasing. I find I do best in the freezer and the cupboards. Other than condiments what I put in the fridge needs to be used up quickly so as not to spoil.

Freezer

• Frozen Strawberries – 5 pound bag from Sam’s Club for smoothies
• Frozen Blueberries – 48 ounce bag from Sam’s Club for smoothies
• Shelled Pecans – 2 pound bag from Sam’s Club
• Mahi Mahi – 32 ounces from Sam’s Club which is 7 – 8 servings

Cupboard

• Canned Tuna – buy multiple cans when they are on sale at Big Lots
• Canned Salmon – buy multiple cans when they are on sale at Big Lots
• Canned Chicken – buy multiple cans when they are on sale at Big Lots
• Chicken Stock – buy multiple cans when they are on sale at Big Lots

Pantry

• Paper Towels – buy 8 roll packages at Big Lots
• Garbage Bags – buy 30 plus bag rolls at Big Lots
• Light Bulbs – buy on sale packages at Big Lots
• Dish Detergent – buy large sizes at Big Lots

One Caveat: if you can’t control yourself with munchies don’t buy them in bulk. I ate a month’s worth of chocolate-covered almonds in a few days.

Source: Icky People