Gardening
Grow Edamame for Better Health and Nutrition
Edamame pods are ready to harvest when they are plump, green, rough, and hairy.
Photo credit: photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com
Add a bit of fiber to your garden and diet. Consider growing edamame (edible soybeans) in this year's garden.
Soybeans help promote overall health reducing the risk of high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Plus, the high fiber in soy helps fight colon and some other cancers.
Edamame is an ancient Asian vegetable and is often eaten right from the pod like peanuts. Edible soybeans are also used for making tofu, tempeh, soy nut snacks and more. In addition to their high fiber content, soybean's high protein content has made them a popular meat substitute.
Soybeans can be grown in a variety of soils and climate. They tolerate adverse conditions but perform best in warm temperatures, full sun, and moist well-drained soils. Add organic matter to less-than-ideal soils to improve drainage in heavy clay soils and increase the water holding capacity in sandy and rocky soils.
Try growing one of the edible soybean varieties such as Agate, Chiba Green, Midori Giant, and Envy. These have a better flavor and are more suited to your garden and recipes than field varieties.
Wait for the soil to warm for quick germination and increased success. Grow edible soybeans in a sunny spot. Plant and care for them the same as you would lima beans. Plant seeds three inches apart and one to one and a half inches deep in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. Once the plants sprout and grow, thin them out by removing the weaker seedlings, so the remaining plants are six inches apart.
Harvest the soybeans when the pods are plump, green, rough, and hairy. They are usually ready to harvest in 80 to 120 days, depending on the variety. Check frequently and pick when the seeds are fully enlarged but before they get hard. Waiting too long to harvest the seeds reduces the flavor and quality. Since all the seed filled pods usually ripen at the same time, you can pull up the whole plant and harvest the seeds from pods while sitting on a chair in the shade.
Use edamame within two to three days of harvest for the best quality. Store fresh edamame in the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag.
Cook edamame by steaming, boiling, or microwaving the pods. Allow them to cool, then pop out the seeds to enjoy. Don't let any surplus go to waste. Blanche, then freeze whole pods or the seeds. Or dry the shelled edamame in the oven or dehydrator to use throughout the year.
Purchase seeds and carve out some space in your garden or containers for this nutritious vegetable.
Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Antiques
Baseball Antique and Auction News
There is some promising news for local antique shows. After all three Brimfield shows were cancelled last year due to the pandemic Brimfield will be reopening, although it will be on a limited basis. Many of the fields have opted to remain closed for the May show. The website https://thebrimfieldshow.com/ lists Brimfield Auction Acres (formerly J & J) as the lone May show. It will open from May 12th through May 15th. Expect to see more fields open for the July and September shows.
There has been a lot of recent antique news from outside of our area as well. A 1794 "No Stars Flowing Hair Dollar" far exceeded expectations when it sold at auction last month. ESPN reported that "while it closely resembles silver dollars that were later minted in Philadelphia, it gets its name because it is missing stars." It sailed past the $350,000 to $500,000 estimate, reaching $840,000. The reason that ESPN reported on the sale of a rare coin is because it was previously owned by Texas Rangers co-chairman Bob Simpson.
In other baseball related auction news, a Honus Wagner T206 tobacco baseball card will be offered with a $1 million starting bid in an auction ending this month, according to a Bleacher Report article. David Sax of Smithsonian Magazine told the Bleacher Report that, "it's believed that Wagner demanded the ATC pull his card from circulation because he didn't want anyone else profiting from his likeness." Other sources have reported that Wagner didn't like tobacco and refused to allow his image on tobacco cards. NJ.com reported that a different Honus Wagner card sold for $3.25 million at auction last year.
There is more baseball memorabilia news closer to home. I have loaned many pieces from my personal collection of local baseball historical memorabilia to the Worcester Red Sox to be displayed in Polar Park. A large display piece of the 1880 Worcester Worcesters team will be the highlight of the exhibit. Lee Richmond is pictured who pitched the first perfect game in baseball, along with the rest of his team. I have also loaned the Worcester Red Sox a letter from the 1880 Worcester team requesting to be admitted to the National League. There are many other items with Hall of Famers Jesse Burkett, Gabby Hartnett, Connie Mack, and Sliding Billy Hamilton. Other great local players photos, programs from the Blackstone Valley League, and local industrial league teams will also be included. People who tour Polar Park will be able to see the exhibit in the DCU Club. I am always looking to acquire local baseball memorabilia from major league, minor league, and industrial league teams for my collection. I hope to see you in the stands at Polar Park this summer.
Our online auction of sports and non-sports cards all from one estate will soon be running. Our multi-estate online auction with Rock memorabilia from James Brown, Elvis Presley, Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and other famous performers will begin this month and end on June 9th. We are nearing the deadline for accepting quality consignments for this auction. The third session of model trains, die-cast cars, and other toys is currently running and ends on May 12th. See our website for details on upcoming events: https://centralmassauctions.com
Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique Auctions, Estate Sales and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com