What to do with fresh edamame..?

[JeffB]

The recent discussion about fermenting tofu, and a local sale on
organic edamame, set me to wondering: what would be a good way to
ferment fresh, in-the-shell edamame?

I have a empty 5 liter crock. I imagine it'd be best to remove the
soybeans from their shell. Since I'm keeping a high raw diet lately, I
don't think I'll cook them. I'd probably just throw them in the crock
with a bit of shredded cabbage, spices (ginger and black pepper and
some inoculant from prior batches (and/or a bit of unpasteurized miso
paste). Or should I grind the beans up into a paste? A non-koji
soybean ferment--does that even make any sense?

Has anyone tried a ferment with fresh soybeans?

[Emy]

I've never personally fermented uncooked soy, but it seems to be possible. Part of the reason why we use koji mold is to break down some of the more difficult sugars into other sugars that lactobacillis and other bacteria will eat. It would probably be best to break up the beans or mash them before putting them into the ferment so that it's easier for the bacteria to penetrate into the bean, or else it may take a very long time to ferment. A bit of live miso would contain a bit of koji and the right balance of lactic acid bacteria that works with soy, so personally I would add some to the mixture, perhaps even mixing in the miso and squished edamame first, then combining with your other ingredients. 

Sounds exciting! Whatever you end up doing, will you let us know how it turned out, please? :) 

-Emy

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[JeffB]

Another data point...I found this in the product description for "Sea Clear", a fermented food made from miso, kelp, chlorella, etc. Emphasis is mine:

Special Note
From Rehmannia Dean Thomas, the steward of this food, to us who are wondering if it is indeed a Living Food:
Legumes such as soy must be heat treated at first to kill out any bacteria, they are steamed, but then probiotic bacteria is introduced and the bean paste fermented for 90 days, and sometimes 180 days, in order to reintroduce living energy back into the product. This process renders legumes like soy and barley miso into a highly digestible state, and the final product is considered a living food.

So if/when I get around to this soybean project I will cook the beans first.

[JeffB]

Yet another data point...soybeans need to be cracked before fermentation:

http://blogs.forward.com/the-jew-and-the-carrot/162073/sexier-than-tofu-a-tempeh-affair/

The process at Alive & Healing begins with cooking 65 pounds of organic precracked (important, since the culture grows on the inside of the bean) soybeans for about three hours.