Edamame Quality Guide: The Wholesaler's Keen Eye

　　As an edamame wholesaler， quickly and accurately assessing quality is key to ensuring profits and reputation. Here is a practical guide to help you evaluate edamame freshness and grade in minimal time.

　　I. Key Points for Assessing Freshness

　　1. Visual Inspection

　　Color： Fresh edamame pods should be bright or emerald green with a natural sheen. Yellowing， darkening， or black spots indicate age.

　　Pod Condition： Plump and firm， not sunken or shriveled. Bean outlines should be faintly visible but not protruding. Flat pods or prominently protruding beans suggest over-maturity or dehydration.

　　Fuzz： Fresh pods have fine， dense white fuzz evenly distributed. Loss of fuzz or a sticky feel indicates extended storage.

　　Integrity： Pods should be intact without cracks， holes， or insect damage.

　　2. Touch Test

　　Firmness： Gently squeeze a pod; it should feel firm with slight elasticity. Overly soft may mean rotting; overly hard suggests aging.

　　Moisture： Surface should be slightly damp but not sticky. Excess moisture may indicate impending spoilage; excessive dryness suggests loss of freshness.

　　3. Bean Inspection （Sample by Shelling）

　　Color： Beans should be bright or light green， evenly colored.

　　Condition： Plump and round， covered with a semi-transparent seed coat. Shriveled， yellow， or whitish beans indicate age.

　　Smell： Fresh， beany aroma. Avoid sour， fermented， or off odors.

　　4. Stem and Attachment Point

　　Stems should be green and firmly attached. Dry， easily detached stems or blackened attachment points suggest prolonged harvest time.

　　II. Quick Grading Standards

　　Premium Grade （Highest Quality）

　　Appearance： Pods uniformly bright green， glossy， fuzz intact， no spots or damage.

　　Specification： Pod length 6-8 cm， width 1.2-1.5 cm， consistent size.

　　Beans： Plumpness 》90%， 2-3 beans per pod， vibrant green color.

　　Other： Harvested within 24 hours， moisture content 62-65%.

　　Grade I （High Quality）

　　Appearance： Vibrant green， slight gloss， minor color variation or small spots on ≤5% of pods.

　　Specification： Pod length 5-9 cm， mostly uniform.

　　Beans： Plumpness 》85%， some pods may contain 1 or 4 beans.

　　Other： Harvested within 48 hours， moisture content 60-68%.

　　Grade II （Commercial Standard）

　　Appearance： Green， allowing ≤10% yellowing or spots.

　　Specification： Pod size inconsistency ≤15%.

　　Beans： Plumpness 》75%， some shriveled or uneven beans acceptable.

　　Other： No obvious off odors， moisture content 58-70%.

　　Substandard （Unacceptable）

　　Pods with 》30% yellowing， rotting， off odors， insect damage， or obvious disease.

　　Beans with 》30% shriveling or contamination.

　　III. Practical Quick-Check Process

　　Overall Look： Check entire batch for color uniformity， obvious discoloration， or rot.

　　Random Sampling： Take 3-5 handfuls from different locations.

　　Touch Test： Assess overall moisture and firmness.

　　Shelling Verification： Randomly shell 5-10 pods to check beans.

　　Smell Test： Take a close sniff to detect any abnormal odors.

　　IV. Purchasing and Storage Tips

　　Seasonality： Edamame is best in summer; greenhouse products in winter require stricter checks.

　　Traceability： Know origin， harvest time， and transport conditions.

　　Storage： Store at 0-4°C， 85-90% humidity， avoid compression， and sell quickly.