Nutrient Composition of Fresh and Frozen Lima Beans in Relation to Variety and Maturity

Abstract

The production of lima beans for processing has increased steadily during the last few years in the United States as a whole and especially in California. The 1953 crop in California was 40,300 tons and in the United States 105,900 tons, representing monetary values of $4,484, 000 and $16,206,000, respectively (19). Because of the rapid increase in consumption of frozen lima beans, it is desirable to have more complete information on nutrient composition and organoleptic quality as influenced by variety, species, maturity, locality of growth, and the freezing process.Among so-called baby lima beans, Bailey ( 2 ) has described the climbing type of baby (sieva) linias as Phaseolus lunatus, L. and the bush type as Phaseolus lunatus, L. var. lunonanus, Bailey. ((Wilbur" is a climbing type of baby lima; "Cangreen" and "Clark's Bush" are of dwarf o r bush form (Hendersons). Cangreen and Clark's Bush are similar in appearance and possess the green cotyledon character. These beans do not become white during maturation but are greenish at the drying stage. "U. S. 242" and "Concentrated Fordhook" (potato lima) are described as Phaseotus limensis, Macf. var. limenanus, Bailey. Several years earlier Mackie (11) designated all the above types of lima beans as Phaseolus lunatus. I n many studies of the composition of lima beans, the variety and the species were no't identified.Of the numerous investigations of the nutritive value of fresh and frozen lima beans, the majority have reported on one or just a few of the constituents. Only a few papers have dealt with the vitamin, mineral, and proximate compositions. Munsell et al. (13) analyzed 13 constituents of lima beans (P. limensis) grown in Honduras. The values cited by Watt and Merrill (18) are compiled from various sources and do not represent any one sample.Since a thorough survey of the nutrient components is not available, ZI reinvestigation of lima bean composition seemed desirable. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDUREMaterials. Cangreen and U. S. 242 varieties were grown at Davis during the summer 1952. The beans were harvested in the morning, separated from the pods with a mechanical podder, and prepared for analysis on the same day. Three harvests were made to obtain the physiological maturities described below. The first harvest yielded Maturity Classes I and 11; the second yielded Maturity Class 111; and the third yielded the dry beans.Clark's Bush and U. S. 242 were selected from commercially grown fields in Patterson, Stanislaus County. The plants were harvested during the early hours of the morning 617

Nutrients in Frozen Foods, Variations in Nutritive Value of Frozen Green Baby Lima Beans as a Result of Methods of Processing and Cooking

“…Average vitamin content of fresh and frozen baby green Lima beans, as determined in the current study, is compared with published values on the same type of beans in Table I crop, vitamin retentions were: thiamine, 33; riboflavin, 87; niacin, 47; vitamin Be, 82; and total pantothenic acid, 65%. Corresponding figures for the 1953 crop, grade A beans reported by Yamaguchi et al (12) were: 54, 77, and 75%, respectively, for thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. The concentration of the salt brine solution used commercially for cleaning and grading the 1953 crop beans was not given, but losses of thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin were greater than in the steam-blanched beans of the same lot.…”

“…12 and 28% salt solutions Steam-blanch and commercial Hot water-blanch and commercial Hot water-blanch and steam-blanch " P < 0.05.…”