Though edamame seed is highly nutritive and recommended by health experts, its skin is not suggested for eating at all. For some obvious reasons you should always stay away from eating the pods or seeds of this popular food item.
First of all, the skin has no food value. So, from the point of health, it matters nothing if you eat this pod or not. This will not be anything more than wastage of time and energy. When you chew two or three edamame skins, they can disturb your digestion system.
As the skin can give you any nutrition and eating several of them may harm you physically, no experts suggest trying with them.
How Does Edamame Skin Taste?
Without getting mixed with additional ingredients, edamame skins have no attractive taste to eat them. This is the reason why you can’t edamame pods.
But you cannot take the peels near to your mouth when you try them without cooking or adding substances like salts, artificial flavor, etc. Cooking the peels is the best option because it softens the hard texture of the skins and makes them suitable to eat.
No doubt, this skin is not toxic. But you shouldn’t eat the skin even after making it tastier because it has no food value.
What Happens When You Eat Edamame Skin?
Surely, you won’t die. Edamame skin is slightly poisonous, no doubt. Besides, when you eat several pods, they can harm your health severely.
This skin takes a long time to be swallowed down. Similarly, as they have a strong texture, they take a longer time to be digested. That’s why people who have sensitive digestion should avoid eating the skin.
Moreover, eating this skin may lead to nausea, gas, pain in the stomach, diarrhea, dizziness, etc. This is what happens when you eat edamame shells in large amounts.
When Can You Eat Edamame Skin?
Despite the prohibition, if you want to taste edamame skin, you have to do some treatment with the peels. Can you eat cooked edamame skin?
Of course, you can, suggests KC Carr. Then you have to remove the seeds first to make the job easy and quick. As the seeds are separated, they won’t take much time to be boiled. To make the skin suitable for your stomach and health, you can boil them for a few minutes. Then spread some salt on them to add taste to the peels.
You can now eat the skin, but they won’t surely taste great. But now they are safe for your stomach as they won’t take much time to be digested.
What to Do With Edamame Skin?
Edamame skin can be an incredible natural fertilizer, which you can use to grow other plants, says I AM Going Vegan. So, these peels can save you from using artificial fertilizers and harming the fertility of soil.
You shouldn’t eat edamame skin, true. But that doesn’t mean this skin has no use at all. In case you undertake some easy but effective activities, they can turn into useful things.
How Can You Reduce the Amount of Lectin in Edamame Skin?
You can reduce the amount of lectin, which is responsible for all the troubles, in edamame skin simply by boiling or steaming them.
Lectin cannot tolerate heat at all. So, when it comes into contact with heat, it breaks down unbelievably. Consequently, this substance loses its power significantly. So, you don’t become sick even after eating several edamame skins.
Yet you shouldn’t consider this skin a food because it has no notable food value. Moreover, if you have a sensitive digestion system, you must always avoid this skin-no matter if it is cooked or free of lectin.
What Should You Do If You Eat Edamame Skin?
In case you eat one or more edamame skins, you must consult a doctor to avoid further health risks, advises Jaron.
When you eat them uncooked, the skins then contain a lot of lectin. This is a toxic substance which is mainly responsible for the troubles in your stomach. So, when you eat more than one edamame peel, you must go to the physician.
If you wait at home hoping for the symptoms, you are probably doing the wrong. This is because you might not see the symptoms clearly.
FAQs
Can Eating Edamane Skin Lead To Weight Gain?
Eating edamame skin in moderation is unlikely to cause weight gain. In fact, its fiber content can aid in promoting a feeling of fullness.
Can You Use Edamame Skin In Cooking Other Dishes?
Absolutely! Edamame skin can be a versatile ingredient in various recipes, including soups, stews, and even as a garnish for certain dishes.
Can You Give Edamame Skin To Your Pets?
While edamame skin is not toxic to pets, it is not a suitable food for them. Stick to pet-safe treats and foods recommended by veterinarians.
Final Thoughts
So, the debate on –Is edamame skin edible? should come to an end here. Simply put, you shouldn’t eat edamame skin. The reason is this skin has no notable food value. Besides, these peels are also not that tasty to eat.
As the pods take a long time to get digested because of their hard texture, you would feel uneasy during that time. At the same time, you cannot also try any other foods. Moreover, eating them too much can easily cause several stomach diseases. So, you have no reason to consider edamame skin edible.
Despite all these prohibitions, if you still want to taste the skins, you should cook them, add salts and sauce to make them suitable to eat.