Dehydrated legumes allow for long-term storage.
Legumes, including beans and peas, dry on the plant prior to harvest. Minimal dehydration is necessary once you pick the pods. Dehydrated legumes store for two years or longer. They do require soaking in water to rehydrate the seeds before you can prepare and cook them. You can also dehydrate fresh green peas and lima beans using a food dehydrator. These have the same storage and rehydration requirements as legumes that dried in the pod on the plant. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
Plant Dried Legumes
1. Harvest the legumes after the pods turn brown and brittle. The seeds inside also become hard at harvest time.
2. Split open the dried pods. Remove the dried seeds from inside the pod and spread them out in a single layer on a tray.
3. Place the tray in a warm, dry room that has good ventilation. Dry the seeds for an additional three to five days to ensure no moisture remains in the seeds.
4. Package the dehydrated legumes in an airtight storage jar or bag. Keep in a cool, dry place until you are ready to use them.
Dehydrating Fresh Legumes
5. Harvest fresh peas and lima beans when the pods are still plump and green. Properly mature, fresh legumes have tender seeds that have not begun to dry on the plant.
6. Split open the pods and remove the seeds. Spread the seeds out in a single layer on a dehydrator tray. Leave a space between each seed so air moves freely around each one.
7. Set the tray inside the dehydrator. Turn the dehydrator on to the 140 degree Fahrenheit setting. Use the low setting if your dehydrator does not have exact temperature settings.
8. Dehydrate the legumes in the dehydrator until they are completely dry and hard. It takes between eight and 12 hours to dehydrate the legumes completely, depending on the type, size and the moisture content in the seeds.
9. Store the dried legumes in an airtight jar or bag in a cool, dry area.
Tags: Dehydrated legumes, legumes airtight, Legumes Harvest, lima beans, peas lima