Last of the Limas

      The Dr. Martin lima beans have had a very productive run, but the colder weather and shorter day length has pretty much done them in.  Here is a picture of the last picking on October 30th, then shelled on November second.

      We have a lot of the beans frozen, as they just kept coming and coming.

      Even the large beans are tasty.  Dinner was pork chops, lima beans, and butternut squash from the garden.  Scrumptious.

     A nice way to end the lima season.  Does anyone have a recipe for baked beans using fresh or dried lima beans?  I would love to give it a try.

Dr. Martin Lima Beans

      A few years ago, some of the gardeners at the park introduced me to Dr. Martins Lima Beans.  The vines grow huge, and although the beans are very large, they are delicious.  The only problem I had was getting the dried beans to sprout.  A lot of the literature suggests to soak the dried beans overnight.  All that did was to result in planting mushy beans in flats that resulted in a rotting mess. With some years of experimentation, I have come upon a simple method.

Dr. Martin starts, April 25, 2016

      Five days ago I filled these four cell packs with soil, and soaked the trays in water.  Poured off the excess water and planted one dried bean per cell.  Actually one FROZEN dried bean per cell, as these beans are from my dried crop from November 2015 that has been stored in the freezer.  Who would think that frozen beans would germinate?  Not only do they germinate, I think I will get all 16 seeds to sprout. How about them beans?

Got Away Garden

      My original garden over at the park got out of control this year, and try as we might by pulling all thistles on three occasions, we were never able to bring it in line.  I hope the winter cold will knock down the weeds and then I might be able to stay ahead next year.
      I had planted three Dr. Martin lima bean plants on a sturdy six foot tall by eighteen foot long trellis.  Brownie at the park had given me the plants, and he said they would need lots of room.  So only the three plants in such a large space.  All three survived transplanting, then were basically ignored.  Never watered, seldom weeded.  Never picked a bean because they never seemed full.  There were lots of dry pods, some even split open.  Before pulling out the three vines, I picked the dried pods.

Dry Lima Harvest

Here are some beans still in the pods

      This last shot shows the total harvest of good beans in the saucer, the not so appealing beans in the left corner, a handful of fresh green pods, and a huge mound of pods to go to the compost pile.  All those beans from only the original three seeds.  I will keep maybe twenty beans to start for next year's crop.
      We have never cooked with dried lima beans before, but sure are going to try this winter.  Anyone have a yummy recipe they would like to share?