General information and discussion about cultivating beans, peas, peanuts, clover and vetch.
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November 21, 2011 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Walla Walla, Washington
Posts: 360
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Christmas Lima Beans
I recently bought some Christmas Lima's at the health food store. I've never had them before; at $7.98 a pound, I sure would like to prepare them nicely. Any suggestions or recipes any of you have would be appreciated!
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December 15, 2011 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
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Those are just the prettiest beans, aren't they? I bought them last year to grow in my garden and failed. Can't help you on cooking them, though.
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January 4, 2012 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Southern CA
Posts: 1,714
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I grew them for the first time this year on a friend's recommendation. She claimed they tasted like chestnuts; she was right, they do. So keep that in mind when cooking them. I just throw some in soups, but I also boiled some when tasting for the first time, to get an idea of what they tasted like plain. Added a bit of butter, salt and pepper at the end. They sure were good.
Since I had never grown limas before, I was surprised my plants were alive so long. I had planted them back in May but they are still growing, and actually producing the most, now. I was so proud of my skills, till I realized why they are probably called CHRISTMAS limas--Duuuh! |
February 8, 2012 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Albuquerque, NM - Zone 7a
Posts: 209
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It's my understanding they're called Christmas beans because when they're used as a fresh shell bean, they're red and green, not red and white as the dried beans are.
Regardless, they're great! Only way I've used them in cooking is to replace half the pinto beans in a big pot of my Chile with Brown Rice, with Christmas beans. I was absolutely astounded by the way the Christmas beans still retained their unique beany flavor, even after having soaked up all the spices, while the pinto beans always just sort of just meld in with all the other ingredients and lose their beaniness; which suits me fine, by the way, because pintos by themselves have a certain signature pinto bean flavor that I don't much care for. The year I grew them, I was mostly just impressed by the vigor and hardiness of the plants. Not to mention their productivity. |
February 8, 2012 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 313
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I grew "Christmas" in the early 90's, when I still lived in SoCal. We ate them as fresh shelled limas, and they were wonderful that way. Huge size, pretty color, wonderful flavor with just butter & salt. They were sometimes mixed with "King of the Garden" limas, which we also grew... but "Christmas" started bearing later.
Oh, how I took perfect weather for granted back then. Don't have much chance of success with "Christmas" in my present climate. That gave me an excuse, though, to look for shelly beans that would do better here than limas - and that's been a fun ride. |
October 1, 2012 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,540
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This feels like a silly question: how do you know when they're ready to pick? Mine still look flattish, but some of the pods are already drying out. I assume you can't eat them pods and all at some stage? Only freshly shelled or dried? So how do you catch them when the beans are full size but they have not started to dry out? The pods have bean bumps, but the bumps are nowhere near as large as for any other beans.
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October 1, 2012 | #7 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
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Quote:
PS Limas have a tendency to be smallish anyway if it is dry. Were you dry this year? I know mine were smaller than normal.
__________________
Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture |
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October 1, 2012 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,540
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it's always dry here in the summer, but I've been watering them the same as all the other beans: every 4-7 days -- it went to 7 days after I added a lot more mulch. They do seem a bit smaller than the ones I planted. Maybe.
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October 2, 2012 | #9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Walla Walla, Washington
Posts: 360
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Quote:
Next year I think I'll try Good Mother Stallard; I have read they are a nice tasting, meaty bean, but would love to hear from anyone what they thought of them. |
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October 3, 2012 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 313
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The pods usually change color when ripe (most often to yellow), and turn somewhat translucent. This is easier to see if the vines are between you & the sun when you harvest. The pod below the stem will turn rubbery, so you can also judge ripeness by feel. This is the optimal stage for best color & flavor, and the pods are much easier to open when ripe than they are when picked green.
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October 4, 2012 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Alabama 7.5 or 8 depends on who you ask
Posts: 727
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As far as cooking cook like blackeye peas (salt, pepper and little bacon) then serve with bake fish and bake fries
Also good just with cornbread. Just a note Jackson Wonder bush beans are also good with fish they both have a nutty flavor that to me tastes good with fish. |
December 15, 2012 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,540
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My Christmas Lima vines are still fully leafed out, long after all the other bean plants have dried up. And I saw new flowers on them! Since I planted only 10 beans, I have room to let them be and see how long they last. Nights have been as cold as high 30s; days 50s.
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December 15, 2012 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
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Oh, bacon, fries and with fish. Can't get better than that!
We just had southern peas and collards with bacon. Actually had them as leftovers a couple of sayin a row. They get better the longer they cook. |
December 15, 2012 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
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__________________
Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture |
December 16, 2012 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b)
Posts: 1,337
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I ordered these from baker creek. Should do well here since
we have hot and steamy summers. Cowpeas grow very well here. Steamed fresh with butter and salt, that sounds delish. |
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