Lima beans: description and characteristics of the variety, cultivation with photo

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

Variety description

This bean is known by 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 call Lima sweet bean among themselves.

Plant characteristics:

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

Beans:

• shape: curved or straight;
• 6-20cm long, 4 seeds inside each;
• colour: green at wax stage, or brown and brown when ripe, some varieties remain green.
• Matures within 65 to 90 days, depending on the variety.

Beans:

• color: very varied;
• shape: kidney moon-spherical;
• size: large to small.

Lima, sometimes referred to as butter beans, because of the fat they contain, is good for both children and adults. Even bushes are used, which are powerful green manure.

Common varieties:

• Business fine-grained.
• Armenian.
• Sugar.
• Fawn-motley and other types of culture.

Only beans are eaten, Lima's doors are unfit for food.

Pros and cons

Positive and negative characteristics of the Lima bean variety affect the choice of a summer resident. The presence of a large amount of negativity will cause the view to become unclaimed.

Pros:

• Rich in vitamins and other useful substances.
• Has a powerful effect on the human body: promotes weight loss, cleanses the stomach, is an antioxidant and much more.
• When eating lima beans, the feeling of fullness comes very quickly.

Cons:

• Contraindicated for diabetics.
• Not suitable for people with urolithiasis and a tendency to flatulence.

How to grow lima beans?

The plant is heat-loving, unable to tolerate the slightest drop in temperature, does not tolerate heat, and high humidity. Lima is very capricious about 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 apart and 60 cm - the distance of the rows between each other.
• Curling 30 cm between each other and 90 cm between the rows.

Recommended, as a location option, a square-nested planting, the distance of the bushes from each other is 50-70 cm.

Plantings are deepened by 3-6 cm. In order to save Lima plants from frost, cover them. The optimum 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 spudded, the plants need additional support. A strong gust of wind breaks the delicate stems.

Otherwise, care is no different from any other culture. Agricultural practices are standard:

• Weeding, removing weeds increases the amount of nutrients that go to plants and soil.
• Loosening. Twice a season the aisle is loosened.
• Water, plants should not dry out or be flooded with water uncontrollably and unlimitedly.
• Top dressing with superphosphate, or ammonium nitrate. Calculation of 10 g per 1 m^{2. Wood ash steamed with boiling water in a ratio of 1:1. Then diluted with water 1:10.}

If the Lima variety is curly, be sure to install supports so that the plant weaves.

Pests and diseases

Compared to common bean varieties, Lima is immune to viral-type diseases. Culture requires attention from late July to August. At this time, powdery mildew and spotting are actively developing on the plots.Of the pests, the bean weevil is not afraid. Whereas other insects are harmful if Lima bean bushes are not treated in a timely manner.

Harvest and storage of crops

This process directly depends on the varietal characteristics of Lima beans. Curly ripens within 30 days, bush faster. Seeds at the stage of wax maturity are harvested earlier, to determine the readiness, the beans need to be pierced, if this is difficult, the seeds are overripe, if not, then they begin to collect. Variety Lima is stored 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 ripened pods are peeled, dried and cleaned in a place inaccessible to insects, preferably tightly closed containers. In this form, they are stored for 4-6 months.

Baby Lima recipes

Dishes with Baby Lima beans are very diverse. You need to have free time and a standard set of ingredients at hand. But there are also recipes that require exotic additions.

Heating secrets

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

1. To speed up the cooking process, it is soaked. Then they put it on the stove for 2 minutes, wrap it up and remove it for 2 hours. They recommend this method, pour it with plenty of water and put it in the cold for 5-6 hours. Wash it and boil it to the desired state.
2. Beans are boiled for 45 minutes, when 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 s alt and seasoning before the end of cooking, this will increase the cooking time. All the necessary ingredients are added at the very end.

Lima bean curry

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

• 400g lima beans;
• 3 medium bulbs;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of tomato paste, 3 finely chopped tomatoes will do;
• 10 pcs sun-dried tomatoes;
• 0.4L coconut milk;
• 1 tbsp curry spoon;
• chili to taste;
• 0.4L water;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil;
• a bunch of cilantro;
• s alt 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. S alt and pour in coconut milk, warm. 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 chowder traditionally prepared in Spain. For her you need:

• 0.4 kg lima beans;
• 1 smoked pork knuckle with skin on;
• 0.4kg smoked or s alted pork belly;
• 0.2 kg black pudding;
• 0.2 kg chorizo sausage;
• 3 garlic cloves;
• 1 bay leaf;
• a pinch of saffron strands;
• 0.5 teaspoon black peppercorns;
• s alt and pepper to taste.

Cooking. Soak lima beans for 8 hours, refrigerate. Boil the pork knuckle and brisket, remove and pour over with boiling water to wash off the foam. The liquid in which they boiled is poured out. Combine meat with beans, add water - 2.5 l.

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

Get the meat, cut the flesh. The skin from the shank, if desired, is completely removed. Meat cut into medium-sized pieces. Fat is cut off, and a small amount is crushed to get 3 tbsp. spoons. Cut the black pudding into thick circles. Garlic is chopped, not large and not small. Separately fry the cooked 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 until golden brown on both sides. The selected garlic is immediately added to the pot with the beans.

Put the container back on the fire, add sausage and meat to the beans, let it boil. Add pepper and s alt, cook for 3-5 minutes. Served hot.

Stewed beans with mushrooms

Beans for this recipe will suit any, but culinary experts give preference to the Lima variety.

Ingredients:

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

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

Separately in a deep frying pan, fry the chopped mushrooms, garlic in oil, and add spices and s alt. Fry for 6-7 minutes. Add the remaining tomatoes in large slices.

Take out the tomatoes, parsley and garlic from the container. Add the rest to the mushrooms, simmer for 15 minutes. The dish is ready, before serving, add finely chopped greens.

A vegetable grower will be able to appreciate the merits of the Lima bean variety after he tries to grow it on his plot.

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