Blanching Edamame for Freezing
Carol Miles and Amanda Johnson
Blanching edamame, or other vegetables, before freezing stops the plant's natural enzymes from continuing the ripening process. If edamame are placed in the freezer without blanching, they will spoil faster.
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot or wok.
- Place edamame in a cooking basket or metal colander and immerse in the boiling water.
- Cook for five minutes – time begins as soon as the edamame are completely immersed; do not wait until the water begins to boil again.
- Take edamame out of the water, shake the water out of the basket or colander, and spread edamame on a towel to dry. Pat dry if necessary to remove all the water. Drying should be done quickly, within a minute. Drying the edamame prior to freezing will keep the pods from sticking together once they are frozen.
- Place edamame in a freezer bag, and place immediately in the freezer.
- When you remove frozen pods from the bag for cooking, it will be easy to take out the exact amount you require each time.
