Summer residents select varieties for cultivation that have excellent taste and are healthy. Lima is a bean that combines all these characteristics. Few people know what it is, but its beneficial properties have been known for a very long time.
Description of the variety
This bean is known by several names, the most common being lima, but there are several other names by which summer residents recognize it. Because of its shape it is called moon-shaped. Some summer residents call Lima sweet bean among themselves.
Plant characteristics:
- annual;
- climbing, creeping or bush form;
- medium size;
- one inflorescence consists of 20-30 flowers;
- self-pollinating.
Beans:
- shape: curved or straight;
- 6-20 cm in length, inside each 4 seeds;
- color: green at the stage of waxy ripeness, or brown and brown in ripe fruits, in some varieties they remain green.
- Ripens within 65 to 90 days, depending on the variety.
Beans:
- color: very varied;
- shape: kidney-lunar sphere-shaped;
- size: from large to small.
Lima beans, which are sometimes called butter beans because of the fats they contain, are useful for both children and adults. Even bushes are used, which are a powerful green fertilizer.
Common varieties:
- Bush small-grain.
- Armenian.
- Sugar.
- Fawn-variegated and other types of culture.
Only beans are eaten; Lima's beans are unsuitable for eating.
Advantages and disadvantages
Positive and negative characteristics of the Lima bean variety influence the choice of the summer resident. The presence of a large amount of negativity will lead to the fact that the species will become unclaimed.
Pros:
- Rich in vitamins and other beneficial substances.
- It has a powerful effect on the human body: promotes weight loss, cleanses the stomach, is an antioxidant and much more.
- When consuming Lima beans, the feeling of fullness comes very quickly.
Minuses:
- Contraindicated for diabetics.
- It should not be used by people who have urolithiasis and a tendency to flatulence.
How to grow lima beans?
The plant is thermophilic, cannot tolerate the slightest drop in temperature, does not tolerate heat and high humidity. The Lima variety is very capricious regarding weather changes.
It is recommended not to rush to sow seeds; it is better to wait until the weather is consistently warm. The soil temperature should be +15 ⁰С, otherwise the planting material will rot in the ground.
Planting material is planted in different ways:
- Bush 20 cm apart and 60 cm - the distance between the rows.
- Climbing 30 cm between each other and 90 cm between rows.
They recommend, as an option for arrangement, a square-cluster planting, the distance of the bushes from each other is 50-70 cm.
The plantings are deepened to 3-6 cm. In order to save the Lima variety plants from frost, they are covered. The optimal temperature for germination is +25 ⁰С.
The first shoots are observed 7 days after planting.
Features of care
When 1 true leaf appears, the beds are earthed up; the plants need additional support. A strong gust of wind breaks the tender stems.
Otherwise, care is no different from any other culture. Standard agricultural practices:
- Weeding and removing weeds increases the amount of nutrients that reach the plants and soil.
- Loosening. The row spacing is loosened twice a season.
- When watering, plants should not dry out or be flooded with water uncontrollably and unlimitedly.
- Fertilizing with superphosphate or ammonium nitrate. Calculation 10 g per 1 m2. Wood ash steamed with boiling water in a 1:1 ratio. Then diluted with water 1:10.
If the Lima variety is climbing, be sure to install supports so that the plant can climb.
Pests and diseases
When compared with bean varieties that are familiar to everyone, Lima is immune to viral diseases. The culture requires attention from the end of July to August. At this time, powdery mildew and spotting are actively developing in areas.Among the pests, it is not afraid of the bean weevil. Whereas other insects cause harm if Lima bean bushes are not treated in a timely manner.
Harvest and storage
This process directly depends on the varietal characteristics of the Lima bean. The climbing variety ripens within 30 days, the bush variety faster. Seeds at the stage of wax ripeness are collected earlier; to determine readiness, the beans need to be pierced; if this is difficult, the seeds are overripe; if not, then proceed to collection. The Lima variety can be stored for very short 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
For those who want to preserve until winter, the following method is offered. The seeds are blanched and stored in the freezer.
Fully ripe pods are peeled, dried and stored in a place inaccessible to insects, preferably in tightly closed containers. In this form they are stored for 4-6 months.
Recipes from Baby Lima
A wide variety of dishes are prepared using Baby Lima beans. You need to have free time and a standard set of ingredients on hand. But there are also recipes that require exotic additions when preparing them.
Secrets of heat treatment
Housewives use special secrets when preparing Lima beans; they help reduce cooking time.
- To speed up the cooking process, it is soaked. Then they put it on the stove for 2 minutes, wrap it up and put it away for 2 hours. This method is recommended, fill it with plenty of water and put it in the cold for 5-6 hours. Wash it and cook it to the desired state.
- Cook the beans for 45 minutes; when boiling, remove the foam that forms on the surface. A pressure cooker will not work in this case.
- It is not recommended to add salt and seasoning before the end of cooking, as this will increase the cooking time.All the necessary ingredients are added at the very end.
Lima bean curry
When preparing this recipe, you need to have a slightly non-standard set of ingredients on hand.
- 400 g Lima beans;
- 3 medium sized onions;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of tomato paste, 3 finely chopped tomatoes will do;
- 10 pieces. sun-dried tomatoes;
- 0.4 liters of coconut milk;
- 1 tbsp. spoon of curry;
- chili to taste;
- 0.4 l of water;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil;
- a bunch of cilantro;
- salt to taste.
How to cook. Pre-cook the lima beans. Cut the onion into pieces and fry in oil with spices for 5 minutes, add the tomato, fry a little, add water, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and coconut milk and heat through. Then add beans and Sun-dried tomatoes. Keep on fire for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Serve garnished with cilantro.
Asturian fabada
This is a type of stew traditionally prepared in Spain. For it you need:
- 0.4 kg lima beans;
- 1 smoked pork knuckle with skin;
- 0.4 kg smoked or salted pork belly;
- 0.2 kg blood sausage;
- 0.2 kg chorizo sausage;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 1 bay leaf;
- a pinch of saffron threads;
- 0.5 teaspoon black peppercorns;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation. Soak Lima beans for 8 hours and refrigerate. Boil the pork knuckle and belly, remove and rinse with boiling water to wash off the foam. Pour out the liquid in which they were boiling. Combine the meat with beans, add water - 2.5 liters.
Bring to a boil, remove the foam. Add pepper, saffron and bay leaf, simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Do not stir or add salt. Remove from stove.
Remove the meat and cut off the flesh. The skin from the shank can be completely removed if desired. Cut the meat into small pieces.The fat is cut off and a small amount is crushed to make 3 tbsp. spoons. Cut the blood sausage into thick circles. The garlic is chopped, neither large nor small. Separately, fry the prepared chopped fat, melt it and fry the garlic on it for several minutes, carefully remove all the garlic with a slotted spoon so that all the fat remains in the pan. Immediately fry the sausage on both sides until golden brown. The selected garlic is immediately added to the pan with the beans.
Place the container on the fire again, add sausage and meat to the beans, and let it boil. Add pepper and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.
Stewed beans with mushrooms
Any bean is suitable for this recipe, but chefs prefer the Lima variety.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of frozen forest mushrooms;
- 0.3 kg beans;
- 3 pcs. red tomatoes;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- a bunch of parsley;
- 1 tsp. dry marjoram;
- 1 tbsp. l. basilica;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation. Soak the lima beans for 4-6 hours, then add cold water and bring to a boil. Place the parsley tied in a bunch there with the garlic. Boil for 40 minutes, add tomato, cut into several parts or halves, or tomato paste. Cook for another 1 hour.
Separately, in a deep frying pan, fry chopped mushrooms, garlic in oil, and add spices and salt. Fry for 6-7 minutes. Add the remaining tomatoes in large slices.
Remove the tomatoes, parsley and garlic from the container. Add the rest to the mushrooms and simmer for 15 minutes. The dish is ready, add finely chopped greens before serving.
A vegetable grower will be able to evaluate the merits of the Lima bean variety after he tries to grow it on his plot.
