Description of the Lima bean variety, features of cultivation and care

Summer residents select varieties for cultivation that have excellent taste and are useful. Lima is a bean that combines all of these traits. Few know what it is, but its beneficial properties have been known for a very long time.

Description of the variety

This bean is known under several names, the most common is lima, but there are several more names by which summer residents recognize it. Because of its shape, it is called moon-shaped. Some summer residents among themselves call Lima a sweet bean.

Plant characteristic:

• annual;
• curly, creeping or bush form;
• medium size;
• one inflorescence consists of 20-30 flowers;
• self-pollinated.

Beans:

• shape: curved or straight;
• 6–20 cm long, with 4 seeds inside each;
• color: green at the stage of waxy maturity, 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;
• form: kidney-spherical;
• size: large to small.

Lima, which is sometimes called butter beans because of the fats it contains, is good for both children and adults. Even bushes are used, which are a powerful green fertilizer.

Common varieties:

• Small-grain bush.
• Armenian.
• Sugar.
• Pale-motley and other types of culture.

Only beans are eaten; Lima's shells are unsuitable for eating.

Advantages and disadvantages

The positive and negative characteristics of the Lima bean variety affect the choice of a summer resident. The presence of a large amount of negative 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: it promotes weight loss, cleanses the stomach, is an antioxidant and much more.
• When eating Lima beans, the feeling of fullness comes very quickly.

Minuses:

• Contraindicated in diabetics.
• Cannot be used by people who have urolithiasis and a tendency to flatulence.

How to grow lima beans?

The plant is thermophilic, unable to withstand the slightest drop in temperature, does not tolerate heat and high humidity. The Lima variety is very capricious due to weather changes.

It is recommended not to rush to sow seeds, it is better to wait until stable warm weather is established. 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 from each other and 60 cm - the distance between the rows.
• Curly 30 cm between each other and 90 cm between the rows.

Recommended, as a variant of the location, a square-nesting planting, the distance of the bushes from each other 50-70 cm.

The planting is deepened by 3-6 cm. In order to save the plants of the Lima cultivar from frost, they are covered. The optimum temperature for germination is +25 ⁰С.

The first shoots are observed 7 days after planting.

Care features

When 1 real leaf appears, the beds are spud, the plants need additional support. A strong gust of wind breaks the delicate stems.

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Otherwise, care is no different from any other culture. Agrotechnical methods are standard:

• Weeding, removing weeds, increases the amount of nutrients that go to plants and soil.
• Loosening. The aisle is loosened twice a season.
• Watering, plants should not dry out or be flooded with water uncontrollably and indefinitely.
• Top dressing with superphosphate, or ammonium nitrate. Calculation of 10 g per 1 m²... Wood ash steamed with boiling water in a 1: 1 ratio. Then diluted with water 1:10.

If the cultivar Lima is curly, it is imperative that supports are installed in order for the plant to braid.

Pests and diseases

Compared with the varieties of beans familiar to everyone, Lima has immunity to viral-type diseases. Culture requires attention from the end of July to August. At this time, powdery mildew and spotting are actively developing on the plots. Of pests, the bean weevil is not afraid. Whereas other insects are harmful if the lima bean bushes are not treated in a timely manner.

Harvesting and storage

This process directly depends on the varietal characteristics of the lima beans. Curly ripens within 30 days, bush faster. Seeds at the stage of waxy maturity are harvested earlier, to determine readiness, the beans need to be pierced, if this is difficult, the seeds are overripe, if not, then they begin to collect. Lima variety is stored for very little 2 weeks, in the refrigerator.

For those who want to save until winter, the following method is offered. The seeds are blanched and stored in the freezer.

Fully ripe pods are husked, dried and removed to a place inaccessible to insects, preferably tightly closed containers. In this form, they remain for 4-6 months.

Baby Lima Recipes

Dishes with Baby Lima beans are very varied. 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.

Heat treatment secrets

Housewives use special secrets when cooking Lima beans, they help reduce cooking time.

1. To speed up the cooking process, it is soaked. Then put it on the stove for 2 minutes, wrap it up and put it away for 2 hours. Recommend this method, pour it with plenty of water and put it in the cold for 5-6 hours. Rinse and boil until the desired state.
2. Beans are boiled for 45 minutes, while boiling, the foam formed on the surface should be removed. A pressure cooker will not work in this case.
3. It is not recommended to add salt and seasoning before the end of cooking, this will increase the cooking time. All the necessary ingredients are added at the very end.

Curry with Lima beans

When cooking according to this recipe, you need to have a slightly non-standard set of ingredients at hand.

• 400 g of lima beans;
• 3 medium onions;
• 2 tbsp. tablespoons of tomato paste, 3 finely chopped tomatoes are suitable;
• 10 pieces. sun-dried tomatoes;
• 0.4 liters of coconut milk;
• 1 tbsp. a spoonful of curry;
• chili to taste;
• 0.4 l of water;
• 2 tbsp. tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• a bunch of cilantro;
• salt to taste.

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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.Season with salt and coconut milk, warm up. Then add the 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 chowder traditionally prepared in Spain. For her 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 of chorizo ​​sausage;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 bay leaf;
• a pinch of saffron threads;
• 0.5 tsp black peppercorns;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking. Soak Lima beans for 8 hours, refrigerate. Boil the pork knuckle and sternum, take out and pour over boiling water to wash off the foam. Pour the liquid in which they boiled. Combine the meat with beans, add water - 2.5 liters.

Bring to a boil, remove the foam. Add pepper, saffron and bay leaf, simmer for 2 hours over low heat. Do not stir or salt. Remove from stove.

Take out the meat, cut off the pulp. The skin from the shank, if desired, is removed completely. Cut the meat into small pieces. The fat is cut off, and a small amount is crushed, you should get 3 tbsp. spoons. Cut blood sausage into thick slices. Chop the garlic, not coarsely or finely. 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. The sausage is immediately fried until golden brown on both sides. The selected garlic is immediately added to the pot of beans.

Put the container on the fire again, add sausage and meat to the beans, let it boil. Add pepper and salt, cook for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.

Braised beans with mushrooms

Any beans are suitable for this recipe, but culinary experts give preference to the Lima variety.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of frozen forest mushrooms;
• 0.3 kg of beans;
• 3 pcs. red tomatoes;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• a bunch of parsley;
• 1 tsp dry marjoram;
• 1 tbsp. l. basilica;
• salt and pepper taste.

Cooking. Soak Lima beans for 4-6 hours, then add cold water and bring to a boil. Dip there the parsley tied in a bunch, with garlic. Boil for 40 minutes, add tomato, cut into several pieces or halves, or tomato paste. Cook for another 1 hour.

Separately in a deep frying pan, fry the 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, simmer for 15 minutes. The dish is ready, add finely chopped herbs before serving.

The vegetable grower will be able to evaluate the merits of the Lima bean variety after he tries to grow it on his site.