Edamame soybeans and other vegetables have always been considered a great source of nutrition which is one of the reasons why most households prefer to include vegetables as part of their diet plan. But a common problem with fresh vegetables is that they tend to rot within a few days, and most households don’t have that much free time to go out and buy grocery items every other day. So arises a question: Are edamame beans and other vegetables a good option?

It is a common misconception that edamame soybeans and other vegetables lose their nutrition on freezing. But the reality is that they retain their nutrient content if frozen properly. Therefore, the fact is that there is not much of a nutrient change between fresh and frozen vegetables.

Frozen edamame soybeans and other vegetables would not significantly affect their nutrients, but there is a catch; you need to freeze edamame soybeans and other vegetables properly to preserve the maximum of their nutrient content. In the rest of the article, we will discuss the positive and negative aspects of frozen edamame soybeans and vegetables in detail.

Nutritional value of edamame beans

Edamame soybeans are immature beans usually in the pod that is rich in vitamins and minerals, especially folate and vitamin K, and it’s said to have a good amount of calories. They are high in protein content, boosting metabolic weight and increasing muscle mass. Edamame bean is a good diet option as they are rich in dietary fiber; it’s a low-fat food item that helps lower cholesterol levels which may prevent diseases related to the heart and reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer.

The nutrition content of edamame beans is as below:

Does freezing edamame soybeans and other vegetables affect their nutrition:

It has been established that frozen edamame soybeans and other frozen vegetables are as nutritious as fresh ones. Before reading this post, you might have been of the point of view that frozen edamame beans and vegetables are not nutritious. And if I am being honest, I thought of the same before doing deliberate research on the topic.

It might be a surprise that freezing does not affect the edamame beans and vegetables as much as we thought it would. Our brains are wired into thinking that the freshness and nutrition of the vegetables would deplete as they do over the days when they are fresh. Thanks to modern refrigerating techniques, it is now possible to store soybeans and other vegetables without losing their nutrition for up to 12 months or even more!

How freezing edamame soybeans and other vegetables help retain nutrients

To answer this question, we first must know what causes the vegetable to spoil. Fresh vegetables contain certain chemical compounds called enzymes that cause the vegetables to lose their flavor, color, and nutrition over time. These enzymes may act even when the vegetables are frozen. So, these enzymes must be inactivated.

One other way to stop these enzymes is to prevent them from activating. Fresh vegetables undergo a series of chemical changes when harvested, and this is generally the time when these enzymes become active. Therefore, it is essential to freeze the vegetables immediately after the harvest.

How to freeze edamame beans

You have to follow the following steps in order to freeze the soybeans:

1. Fill a large stock pot with water. Add one tablespoon per gallon of water and bring it to a rapid boil.
2. Put the edamame into a strainer. Immerse the strainer into the boiling water and start the timer. Keep it in the boiling water for 3 minutes.
3. After that, remove the strainer from boiling water and put it into a bowl of iced water for a few minutes.
4. Remove the beans from the bowl of iced water and shake off the excess water.
5. Place the edamame on a paper towel so that it can dry quickly.
6. Put the edamame in freezer bags and freeze them immediately.

Frozen edamame beans and other vegetables might even be more nutritious!

Fresh vegetables are transported over long distances, with takes days and even weeks to reach the marketplace. It causes their nutrition to deplete. On the other hand, frozen soybeans and other vegetables are rich in nutrition as they are frozen when ripe, which preserves their nutrients. Frozen peas are said to have more vitamin C than fresh ones stored at home for several days.

Fresh or frozen edamame beans and vegetables – advantages and disadvantages:

At one point, we all would have wondered if buying fresh vegetables like green peas and edamame soybeans is viable or if one should resort to other options. There is always more than one factor that should be considered while deciding which option would be better. This section will go through the positive and negative points of fresh and frozen vegetables.

Fresh edamame soybeans and other vegetables:

It would not be a surprise to say that most of us have biases toward fresh vegetables. I prefer to eat fresh fruits and vegetables over frozen ones. But there is more than just personal preference to consider.

Most vegetables are hand-picked when they are ripe, giving them time to ripen during transportation. Transportation generally takes three days to several weeks to be transported from farms to the markets. Then the vegetables are displayed in the grocery store for about three days before they are sold, and the consumer might take up to a week before consuming the vegetables. The freshness and nutrition of vegetables deplete exponentially when fresh. So there comes the issue of timely transportation and consumption of fresh vegetables before they rot, making it a costly option.

Frozen edamame soybean and other vegetables:

At some point, all of us have eaten frozen green peas or frozen soybeans. While they might not taste as delicious, they still have a comparative advantage; Frozen edamame soybeans and other vegetables are about the same in nutrition and can be stored for up to 12 months. Given the relaxation of time constraints in transportation, they could be considered a cheap alternative to fresh vegetables.

Edamame beans are considered tasty snacks that can be cooked within minutes. The only drawback is that the taste and texture of the vegetables may not be the same.

At Ifoodio, we specialize in frozen edamame soybeans, frozen green peas, and other frozen vegetables. We employ the techniques to preserve the taste, texture as well as nutrition of the vegetables.

How to cook edamame bean

Edamame beans are considered tasty snacks rich in iron and protein that are easy to prepare. It is possible to cook edamame beans in a variety of different ways.

Recipes to cook fresh edamame beans

1. First, remove the pod from the stalk.
2. Sprinkle the bean pods with a lot of salt in a bowl and let it stand for 15 minutes.
3. Boil a large pot of salted water and add the beans. Let it boil for 5 minutes.
4. Don’t cover the pot, and it can result in the beans losing their color.
5. Drain the water from the pot, and now the beans are ready to be served.
6. To eat the beans, remove them from the pod and toss it into your mouth.

Recipes to cook frozen edamame soybeans

It is pretty easy to prepare frozen edamame soybeans. You can easily do it in 5 minutes or even less!

1. Boil a pot of lightly salted water and add the pod.
2. Boil frozen edamame soybeans for 5 minutes and drain the lightly salted water from the pot.
3. You have prepared your snacks within a matter of minutes. Which is now ready to be served.
4. You can eat the beans by removing them from their pods and tossing them into your mouth.
5. You may sprinkle salt on the beans before you eat them according to your taste.

Conclusion

Now that we know frozen vegetables are the same in nutrition. Contradictory to our perception, frozen edamame soybeans, and other frozen foodstuff are a suitable option. It is possible to store them for way longer than and is relatively cheaper.

So, what are you waiting for? Get a quote on the prices of frozen green peas, frozen edamame soybeans, or any other frozen food option at Ifoodio!