I'm growing limas for the first time this year: Eastland, 68 days to maturity, and Jackson Wonder, 103 days. I'm not sure how to tell when they're ready; both of them have nice little beans inside their pods right now but neither variety has a pod that looks really plump. And they both seem to be at about the same stage, which is puzzling since their dates to maturity are different.
They were planted on April 25th. How do I tell when they're ready?
How to Harvest Lima Beans?
Shell a pod out. If the beans are the size you want they are ready. From that point on you can tell by the size of the pods. Some folks like their lima beans young and tender, others wait until the pods start to change color. Your preference. Don't know where you obtained the 103 day DTM fro Jackson Wonder, But it is normally listed as 65-75 days. They take no longer than other baby limas.
Thanks, Farmer Dill. That DTM makes a lot more sense. They are coming in at the same time as the Eastland. I got the Jackson Wonder from Fedco and 103 day DTM is what they listed.
How do you freeze them - do they need to be blanched first? I don't blanch my green beans before freezing.
I don't recall the name of the Lima beans we grew but I remember my husband shelling and sorting them at the kitchen table. I tasted one of the tiny ones and ate every one raw. They were divine. The others we probably did blanch, then froze on trays and then bagged.
Do try some of the tiny ones raw!
I no longer blanch them. I have done it both ways, and found the extra work not worth it.. Just wash them, let them dry a bit, stuff into freezer bags and pop into the freezer. Jackson Wonder has a much stronger flavor than white or green tinted limas and they cook slate grey. Most folks either either love them or hate them. Not much middle ground.
Farmer Dill, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear! I just came in from picking limas and I'm dripping wet with perspiration. The last thing I'll feel like doing after breakfast and shelling is firing up the stove to blanch these guys.
I did find that some quite large pods had very tiny beans inside. If I am picking so that I can look at the pods backlit, it's surprising the difference between the beans inside. So instead I looked for pods that were a little fatter, and that seems to work, although I haven't shelled them yet to be sure.
I'm mixing my Eastlands and Jackson Wonders; I had some gaps in one row and I thought they were the Jackson Wonders so I replanted some of those where there were spaces, and it turned out that it was the Eastland row. So I'll freeze them all together and we'll take our chances.
Why would you wash the beans first? I normally don't do that with green beans.
Maybe 103 DTM is the length of time if you want dried limas?
I don't think so; they talked about eating them green. I'm still figuring them out; the pods seem to need to be rather fat in order to be easy to shell and also to have the size beans that are worth bothering with.