22 MISC. PUBLICATION 524, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Lima beans are shelled and sorted to remove overmature white 

 beans, washed, blanched in live steam 5 to 10 minutes, and cooled in 

 water before being dried. The finishing temperature in the dehy- 

 drator should not exceed 150° F. 



To reconstitute, boil 1 cup of large whole lima beans in 2 cups of 

 water for 30 minutes. 



BEANS, GREEN SNAP 



The ideal stage of maturity for harvesting snap beans to be dehy- 

 drated extends from the time the seeds have begun to bulge the pods 

 perceptibly until they have attained about two-thirds of their maxi- 

 mum diameter. In studies conducted by the Division of Fruit and 

 Vegetable Crops and Diseases, at Beltsville, Md., to determine varie- 

 ties of snap beans best suited to dehydration, the Stringless Green Pod 

 group and Dwarf Horticultural variety of the dwarf, or bush, type, 

 and Lazy Wife of the pole type were found to be the best of those 

 tested. Other satisfactory varieties are Bountiful, Stringless Valen- 

 tine, and Stringless Kidney Wax. Blue Lake and Kentucky Wonder 

 have made satisfactory products when dried at the Western Regional 

 Research Laboratory but were mediocre to poor as grown and dried at 

 Beltsville. 



Preparations for drying snap beans include sorting and washing, 

 snipping off the stem end, and cutting or breaking the beans into 

 pieces 1 to V/2 inches long. They are blanched in live steam for 5 to 

 10 minutes and cooled in water before being dried. 



To reconstitute, soak 1 cup of snap beans in 2 cups of water for 2 

 hours at 70° to 80° F. ; then boil for 30 minutes. 



BEETS 



The beet is a cool-season crop that can be grown at some time dur- 

 ing the year almost everywhere in the United States. Beets grown 

 in the late fall are best for dehydration because the cool weather 

 develops the desired uniform deep-red color. Varieties recommended 

 are Detroit Dark Red, Morse Detroit, and Ohio Canner. Beets 

 should be harvested before they have begun to develop woodiness. 



Beets are blanched in live steam in the whole form for 30 to 40 

 minutes or until cooked through to the center. They are then peeled, 

 trimmed, and cut into slices, cubes, or strips. 



To reconstitute, simmer diced beets for 30 minutes in V/2 cups of 

 water. Sliced beets require only 1 cup of water to 1 of dried product. 



CABBAGE 



The Danish, Domestic, and Pointed Head varieties of solid white 

 cabbage dehydrate satisfactorily. The British Army has expressed a 

 preference for Savoy and other green-leaved loose-headed types of 

 cabbage because they look attractive when dehydrated, have a good 

 flavor, and are higher in vitamins than the white types. They are 

 not raised in large quantities in this country, however. 



Cabbage is carefully trimmed to remove wilted or blighted leaves, 

 but all good outer leaves are left, since they are richer in vitamin C 

 than the inner ones. Cabbage is cored, washed, and cut into coarse 

 shreds one-eighth to one-fourth inch wide. After shredding there 



