lima bean ghost experiment

GET OUR LATEST UPDATES!

Flying Ghosts Science Experiment with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Kindergartner
Preschooler

Flying Ghosts Science Experiment with Baking Soda and Vinegar is a cool Halloween STEAM activity for kids! This easy to create science activity is the perfect way to keep your kids busy learning this Fall!

Flying Ghosts Science Experiment

Science for Kids

One of the great things about this activity is that its safe for toddlers and preschoolers but exciting enough to entertain older grade school age kids as well! The main ingredients for this chemical reaction are baking soda and vinegar, common kitchen household items that is easily available at the grocery store.

Easy Fizzy Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

Do you want to try more experiments with baking soda. You can also try our other fizzy experiments like our

Awesome Fizzy Ice Cream Shop Sensory Bin
Fizzy Sun Sensory Bin: Summer STEAM
Super Fun Fizzy Paint Easter Bunny Craft
Fizzy Shapes Sensory Bin
Love Potions Sensory Bin: Valentine’s Day STEM
Easy Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment for Kids
Lemon Volcanoes
Fizzy Apple Volcanoes
Fizzy Pumpkin Experiment

Science Behind the Flying Ghosts Science Experiment

What happens when you combine baking soda with vinegar? Fizz ! But why does this happen with two seemingly common ingredients. Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid. When an acid and a base mix they produce a gas called carbon dioxide.

But how are the ghosts flying? First off they aren’t flying, they are floating. By adding baking soda and vinegar to water, the liquid starts fill with lots of tiny bubbles. These bubbles start to rise to the surface and pop.

When you add an object to the water, like the lima beans, the bubbles cling to the surface of the objects causing them to rise to the surface along with the bubbles. The bubbles increase the buoyancy of the lima bean ghosts causing them to rise and appear as if they are flying up.

As the bubbles reach the surface of the water, they pop and the beans that were made buoyant loose their buoyancy and become more dense again. As the lima beans become more dense, they drop back to the bottom. While falling down and sitting on the bottom of the glass jar, the beans collect more bubbles. Once the beans have enough bubbles they will rise and fly again after a few minutes.

After a while, either the baking soda and vinegar reaction will get used up and stop making bubbles and the lima beans will remain on the bottom of the jar.

How Many Ghosts to Make and Add to the Experiment

When I did this experiment we got really excited,I made several little ghosts but you will honestly only need between 3-5 lima beans ghosts. We also added all our lima bean ghost at once. I recommend adding about three at first and then adding more later on.

How to Make the Flying Ghosts Science Experiment

Using a black sharpie, draw ghost faces on lima beans.

Fill a jar half way with slightly warm water. Mix in about 1/3 cup of baking soda. Mix the baking soda until its has fully dissolved.

Add 3 lima bean ghosts to the jar.
Slowly fill the rest of the jar with vinegar. Bubbles will start to form and collect on the beans. As they do the beans will become more buoyant and start to rise or fly to the top of the jar.

As the bubbles pop they lima bean ghost will start to fall back down.

Looking for more Halloween Activities? Check out these fun ideas:

50+ Halloween Activities for Kids
40+ Halloween Sensory Bins
20+ Halloween Sticky Walls
30 Adorable Pumpkin Activities & Crafts
25+ Pumpkin Painting Ideas for Kids
31 Adorable Toddler Halloween Costumes
19 Halloween Sticker Activities
20 Cool Ghost Activities & Crafts
20 Witch Crafts & Activities for Kids
40+ Spider Crafts & Activities for Kids
20 Haunted House Crafts for Kids
24+ Skeleton Crafts & Activities for Kids
20+ Bat Activities & Crafts for Kids

Age Suitability

This activity is good for toddlers, pre-k, kindergarten aged children 2 years old and up. My kids are 4.5, 4.5 and 8 years old.

The mess level for this activity is MEDIUM.

Difficulty to Create

Skills developed.

Sensory play, language development, number recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.

The benefits of sensory play:

encourages the development of fine and gross motor skills;
supports language development;
can calm and relieve anxiety;
promotes and strengthens memory; and
helps develop the nerve connections the brain requires for higher learning.

Supplies

(This post and list contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a commission. Please visit my disclosure policy for more information.)

3-5 Lima Beans
Black sharpie
1/3 cup of Baking soda

Books, TV Show & Play Kits!

Book: exciting sensory bins for curious kids.

Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids . Or grab your copy at Amazon .

Engage your child in hours of play with my colorful collection of over 60 sensory bin activities, recipes and play projects that aid with memory formation, language development, problem-solving skills and more. Perfect for toddlers from eighteen months to three years old and beyond, each bin makes use of materials you already have at home and helps reignite your kids’ interest in toys long forgotten.

Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.

With setup instructions, details on how to guide your child through each activity, suggestions for what to talk about with your child as they play and other useful tips, Mandisa gives you all the information you need for creative sensory activities your kids are bound to love.

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids

Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.

Find out more and grab your copy here .

Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.

How to Make Colored Spaghetti for Sensory Play

Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids

Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids , of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles that show them how to think outside the box.

350 riddles for kids —Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
Level up their skills —Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
Double-check their work —Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.

Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!

Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.

TV Show: Curious Crafting

I’m so excited to finally share my new crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched July 1 at on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube !

Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.

In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.

Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.

This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.

The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids

Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.

Our Sensory Play Kits are some fun and easy ways to keep your child engaged while at the same time using sensory play to nurture their mind!

Shop our ready made play kits here .

WILL YOU MAKE A FLYING GHOSTS SCIENCE EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR KIDS? PIN IT FOR LATER!

Filed Under:

Fine Motor Skills
Sensory Bins, Bottles and Bags

Q-Tip Letter Tracing Activity for Preschooler

Watermelon Counting Sticky Wall

DIY Shape Sorter for Preschoolers

Under the Sea Lantern Craft for Kids

Review and rate this post cancel reply.

I love hearing from you! Submit your question or review here. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Magic Jumping Beans Experiment For Kids

Magic jumping beans experiment.

We’re continuing our magic science with a cool jumping bean trick. This one is simple enough for kids to set up themselves and tricky enough that their audience really will be surprised when they see the beans jumping around in the water. If you haven’t been following our magic posts be sure to check out how to make a Magic Box , and a trick to Turn Water to Ice Instantly.

Cooked Beans
Baking Soda
White Distilled Vinegar
Food Coloring
A Drinking Cup Filled Halfway with Water

Add a heaping spoonful of baking soda to the water and stir.
Mix in a couple of drops of food coloring.
Add the beans to the cup of water.
Fill the cup almost to the top with vinegar.
Watch the beans magically jump!

Set the cup of colored water and beans on a table in front of your audience. Use a separate, unlabeled cup to hold the vinegar. Tell your audience that you can make the beans in the cup magically start jumping around just by filling the cup the rest of the way with water.

Pour the vinegar in (the audience will think it’s water) and watch their amazement as the beans start jumping around in the colored water!

For more DIY and eco-friendly projects, please check out our Pinterest page!

If you’re not already a Green Kid Crafts subscriber, don’t wait another day to join!

Every month a different box! For kids ages 2-10+

With 4-6 activities each, our boxes pack a punch.

What’s different about Green Kid Crafts?

Discovery Science & Craft Subscription (Ages 5-10+)

Junior Science & Craft Subscription (Ages 3-5)

Volcano Science

Dinosaur Science

Dig It Out Gemstone Excavation Kit

Sign Up for Emails & Special Offers

On the blog, previous post recycled materials craft: diy mini soapbox cart, next post natural bubble recipe, leave a reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Get On Our List

Diy activities, email-only deals, and a welcome offer.

Shop Back to School
Shop by Age Kids 5-12+
Shop by Age Kids 3-5
Shop Bestsellers
Group Orders
Meet our Founder
Awards and Press
Social Responsibility
One Tree Planted
Work With Us
Join our award-winning subscription program
FAQs / Help Center
Terms & Policies

10 Ways we’re Green
Shop Schools
Submit a Purchase Order
Shop Groups

Beans in a Jar

Spring is in the air and it’s time to get prepared for blooms and blossoms! A fun project for the Spring season is growing a bean plant in a jar. Guess how fast the plant will grow and what conditions will improve its growth. It’s an easy project for the start of the planting season!

Items Needed:

Dry Bean (Lima beans work well)
Cotton balls or Napkins
Sunny Window
Wet the cotton balls or napkins and place them in the jar. Cotton balls should be wet but not soggy.
Push the cotton balls up against the side of the jar and wedge the bean into the cotton balls so you can watch the bean develop.
Put the bean in the jar in a sunny window. Guess what will happen in the next few days. When will it start to grow? How long will it take?
Observe the bean over the next few days. Add water to the cotton balls if they start to dry out.
Soon, you’ll have a bean plant of your own!

It’s so much fun to grow plants! Let’s Make it an Experiment!

To expand this project and make it more like an experiment, plant multiple beans in separate jars. Put one in a sunny window, one under a lamp, and one in a dark corner. Write down your ideas about what will happen. Measure the plant growth every day for one week to see the differences. Why do you think there are differences?

You can also use three different types of beans – black bean, lima bean, kidney bean – and place them in separate jars, in a sunny window. Measure the plants every day for one week. Which one grows taller? Which one grows fastest? What other differences or similarities do you notice?

When your bean plant outgrows its jar, you can plant it in your garden or in a pot, and take care of it for the season. If keeping it outdoors, make sure the temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit before putting it outside. Add sunshine and water, and it will be a happy plant!

Photo Credit: http://cottonridgehomeschool.com/2014/12/10/science-with-children-sprouting-beans-and-growing-bean-plants/

More Experiments

Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates the Children's Science Center Lab at Fair Oaks Mall and STEM programs traveling to schools and other community venues across the region. The Foundation is also developing the Northern Virginia Science Center in Dulles, VA, a world-class, interactive regional science center for families, students and learners of all ages made possible through a pivotal public-private partnership. Learn more about our mission today at childsci.org and our vision for the future at novasci.org.

Plan Your Experience

Events & programs, get involved.

STEM Experiment: Vanishing Ghosts!

Materials Needed:

Biodegradable Packing Peanuts
Black Permanent Marker

Directions:

Use a black permanent marker to draw a ghost face on each packing peanut. Remember, they MUST be biodegradable packing peanuts. (That means they are made of starch, not polystyrene.)
Fill a small bowl with room temperature water.
Place one ghost on top of the water and watch what happens.

You will start to see small bubbles appearing on the sides of the packing peanut ghost. And then the ghost will disappear right before your eyes! Your results may depend on the type of Biodegradable Packing Peanuts you use. (about 5 – 10 min.) If the melting packing peanuts are taking too long to disappear, try using hot water to help speed up the process.

Why Do Biodegradable Packing Peanuts Melt? These new packing peanuts are made out of biodegradable corn starch, which means they break down easily instead of just sitting in the garbage dump for years and years like the older style ones. The water helps break them down even faster whether water temperature will affect the speed they dissolve.

How fast do the ghosts dissolve in different temperatures of water? Get a stopwatch and time it.
Make a chart to record your results.

All-Stars Experiment with Lima Beans

Tuesday, November 3, 2015 | By Caitlin Alexander | 116 views

First-graders wrapped lima bean seeds in wet paper towels in plastic bags and hung them in the window, where we watched them grow roots and shoots! Students also noticed differences in how much the plants grew, depending on the exposure they had to sunlight in their position in the window.

Continue your Darlington journey.

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Stories From the Collection

The lima bean ( Phaseolus lunatus L.) has a long and distinguished history that might surprise those of us who know it only as a humble ingredient of succotash.

The most important member [of the wild bean species group] is P. lunatus, the moon-shaped or the lima bean. Its name does come from the Peruvian capital of Lima, even though perversely it is pronounced 'lime-uh' in English. It is among the largest of beans and for those who were subjected to them in the form of canned limas, the memory of their pasty texture, bitter metallic aftertaste and lurid green color can only evoke the gag reflex. This is a pity, for when fresh or even dried they are among the most pleasant and affable of beans, hulking in proportions, gentle and sweet.

Albala, K. (2007). Beans: A History . New York: Berg, p. 191

This short review addresses the many roles played by the lima bean in culture, cuisine, and agricultural science. It also includes a small sample of the many publications produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to document the scientific development of lima beans and also to help farmers establish, grow, and manage this crop.

Lima Bean Iconography

The early history of the lima bean is intertwined in the foodways of two indigenous peoples: those of South and North America, specifically Peru and the American South.

The archeologist Gail Ryser documented the role that lima beans played in the Moche culture in Peru ( ca. A.D. 100-800). She observed:

Once considered edible and part of the subsistence base, the lima bean became restricted to use as a status symbol or in ceremonies....Moche elites politically manipulated the lima bean and effectively removed it from regular dietary consumption, while concurrently elevating it through ideological association with the Moche warrior class. It is reasonable to extend the attributes of prestige and privilege associated with the Moche warrior class to both the lima bean and its iconographic counterpart, the bean warrior, which thereafter came to symbolize metaphors of life, death, and rejuvenation. (p. 404)

Ryser, G. (2008). Moche Bean Warriors and the Paleobotanic Record: Why Privilege Beans? In Arqueología Mochica: Nuevos Enfoques , edited by L. J. Castillo, H. Bernier, G. Lockard, and J. Rucabado, pp. 397–409. Fondo Editorial de la Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, Lima.

The elevated role of the lima bean as a symbol of both war and eternal life can be seen in the fine art and pottery of the era.

Vessel Depicting the Assault of Bean Warriors

Date: 100 B.C./A.D. 500

Artist: Moche North coast, Peru

The Art Institute of Chicago

Orginal Image: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/91555/vessel-depicting-the-assault-of-bean-warriors

The "Three Sisters," Succotash, and Native Americans

The three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) were the major staples of Native American agriculture, and were always grown together. Corn was the most important staple food grown by Native Americans, but corn stalks also provided a pole for beans to climb and the shade from the corn benefited squash that grew under the leaves. The beans, as with all legumes, provided nitrogen for the corn and squash. Finally, the shade from large squash and pumpkin leaves held moisture in the ground for all three plants. Although other plants such as potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers were cultivated, the three sisters gardens were the backbone of North American Indian agriculture and provided the primary dietary staples of many tribes, and horticulture remains an important part of modern Native American life....Foods of the American South are greatly influenced by Native Americans: grits, cornmeal mush, cornbread, succotash, and fried green tomatoes are all uniquely southern but with Native American origins., p. 174; 176

Park, S., Hongu, N., and Daily III, J.W. (2016). Native American foods: History, culture, and influence on modern diets. Journal of Ethnic Foods , 3 , 171-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jef.2016.08.001

Charleston Muse Succotash 4981 (link is external) by Susan Lucas Hoffman. Used in accordance with the Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons license

The lima bean was a member of the "three sisters" of American Native cuisine and eventually became known as a prime ingredient of the dish called succotash

Succotash, that savory mélange of corn and beans, is a noble dish with a long history. We have 17th-century Native Americans to thank for it; they introduced the stew to the struggling colonial immigrants. Composed of ingredients unknown in Europe at the time, it gradually became a standard meal in the settlers’ kitchens. The name is a somewhat Anglicized spelling of the Narragansett Indian word “msickquatash,” which referred to a simmering pot of corn to which other ingredients were added.

Tanis, D. (2015, August 19). Summer’s Best, All in One Pot. New York Times , Section D, Page 3.

Lima Beans at Mount Vernon

(1793) George Washington Papers, Series 4, General Correspondence: George Washington to Anthony Whiting, February 3. February 3. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/mgw432918/

Lima beans managed to make an appearance at Mount Vernon. George Washington wrote a letter to Anthong Whiting--a master farmer and estate manager for Washington who worked at Mount Vernon from 1790 until 1793--dated February 3, 1793 and contains the following note:

Under cover with this letter you will receive some Lima Beans which Mrs. Washington desires may be given to the Gardener.

The Burpee Company and Getting "Fordhooked"

Burpee's fordhook farm.

Burpee's Fordhook Farm . W. Atlee Burpee & Co. 1895. Burpee's Farm Annual 1895, Philadelphia, PA. Smithsonian Libraries Original Image: https://library.si.edu/image-gallery/104802

The modern conception of lima beans as a garden staple is owed in part to W. Atlee Burpee and the Burpee Seed Company. As described by their company history,

In 1888, Burpee bought a farm near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, called Fordhook, and began transforming it into what would soon become a world-famous plant development facility....But occasionally he found what he was looking for surprisingly close to home. Such was the case of the first Bush Lima Bean, which he found growing in the garden of a man named Asa Palmer in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1890. Until then, lima beans had been strictly climbing plants needing poles for support. After cutworms had wiped out Palmer's bean patch one year, he was stacking his poles for winter when he noticed one odd little plant still flourishing. It was definitely a bush rather than a climber, only a foot high, and it had three little pods each containing a single bean. He planted the seeds the following season, and two of them grew into low bushes bearing a generous yield. He then sold the seeds to W. Atlee Burpee. By 1907, the bush lima bean as we now know it had been developed, and it was named The Fordhook . So exceptional are its eating qualities that it has remained a home gardener's favorite to this day. Lima bean aficionados speak of being "Fordhooked".

W. Atlee Burpee & Co. (undated). The Legacy of W. Atlee Burpee . https://www.burpee.com/gardenadvicecenter/get-to-know/the-legacy-of-w.-a...

Fordhook 242

Dr. Robert Emerson Wester of the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided further description of the two main varieties of lima bean: pole and bush.

Two types of lima beans, called butter beans in the South, are grown in home gardens. Most of the more northerly parts of the United States, including the northern New England States and the northern parts of other States along the Canadian border, are not adapted to the culture of lima beans....Both the small- and large-seeded lima beans are available in pole and bush varieties. In the South, the most commonly grown lima bean varieties are Jackson Wonder, Nemagreen, Henderson Bush, and Sieva pole; in the North, Thorogreen, Dixie Butterpea, and Thaxter are popular small-seeded bush varieties. Fordhook 242...is the most popular midseason large, thick-seeded bush lima bean., p. 38

Wester, R.E. (1972) Growing Vegetables in the Home Garden . U.S. Department of Agriculture. Home and Garden Bulletin Number 202 .

A figure in Growing Vegetables in the Home Garden , (Figure 22, pictured above) illustrates the Fordhook 242 bush lima bean that was selected as a 1945 National All-American Selections winner; Wester was credited as the breeder

All-America Selections, 1945, Bean, Lima/Edibles/Vegetables/National

In an article published in Southern Seedsman (November 1, 1944), "A Close-Up of Fordhook 242" (p. 14; 28) by Robert E. Wester and Roy Macgruder, the cultivar itself and the procedures used to develop it were described.

Fordhook 242 bush lima bean...was developed by the Agricultural Research Administration of the United States Department of Agriculture and tested extensively in cooperation with numerous experiment stations. It is the result of six generations of selection from a lot of seed of Fordhook type secured by L.C. Curtis of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. The heavy early basal set of pods and continuous productivity under high temperature conditions make it an outstanding introduction....In 1942 and 1943 it was grown at 18 experiment stations, and in 1944 it was grown in 22 experiment stations and was entered in the All-America vegetable trials. Such extensive trials, in which it was compared with regular Fordhook and Concentrated Fordhook, have given this new strain or variety a thorough test over the past 3 years....Green shell beans are very slightly smaller than regular Fordhook and have teh same eating quality when fresh, canned, or frozen. They have light green seed coats when immature, fading to greenish cream and light green in color when dry. The orginal seed stock was placed in the hands of commercial growers or lima bean seed for increase under the most favorable conditions. Several of the well-known producers of lima bean seed now have commercial stocks for sale. p. 14; 28

Marketing of Foodhook 242

As stated above, Fordhook 242 was then commercially marketed to the home trade by vendors including Henry A. Dreer and Associated Seed Growers, Inc. , as illustrated in the following advertisements:

Dreer's Novelties and Specialties for 1948 . Henry A. Dreer. 1948 Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection. National Agricultural Library. https://archive.org/details/dreersnoveltiess1948henr/page/n1

Descriptive Catalog of Vegetables for Canning and Freezing . Associated Seed Growers, Inc. 1949 Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection National Agricultural Library. https://archive.org/details/descriptivecata1949asso_0

Genetic Lineage

The origin of the lima bean has been studied for quite some time. In a 1943 publication Mackie described the plant orginating from the jungles of Guatemala and to have descended into three lines: "(1) the Hopi, or northern branch, (2) the Carib, or West Indies, branch,...and (3) the Inca, or southern, branch."

Mackie, W.W. (1943). Origin, dispersal, and variability of the lima bean, Phaselous Lunatus . Hilagardia , 15 (1), p. 3.

More recent scholarship, however "indicates the existence of only two gene pools in lima beans, Mesoamerican and Andean (Baudoin, 1988; Debouck et al., 1989). The Meso american lima bean gene pool extends from the southwestern United States to Argentina and is characterized by small seed size (0.24 to 0.70 g/seed) (Debouck et al., 1989: Maquet et al ., 1990). The Andean lima bean gene pool extends from the equator to north of Peru for wild forms and from Colombia to southern Brazil for cultivated forms and is characterized by large seed size (>0.54 g/seed) (Debouck et al., 1989; Maquet et al., 1990; Maquet et al. , 1993)."

Nienhuis, J., Tivang, J., Skroch, P., and dos Santos, J.B. (1995). Genetic relationships among cultivars and landraces of lima bean ( Phaseolus lunatus L. ) as measured by RAPD markers. Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Science , 120 (2), p. 300.

The identification of two major gene pools for the lima bean has been maintained by more recent works:

Martínez-Castillo, J., Zizumbo-Villarreal, D., Gepts, P., Delgado-Valerio, P., & Colunga-García Marín, P. (2006). Structure and genetic diversity of wild populations of lima bean ( Phaseolus lunatus L .) from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Crop Science, 46, 1071-1080. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2005.05-0081.

However, Camacho-Perez, et al . observed:

[R]ecent studies indicate the existence of three major gene pools within the species: the Andean (A), Mesoamerican I (MI) and Mesoamerican II (MII), all of which contain wild and domesticated forms.

Camacho-Pérez, L., Martínez-Castillo, J., Mijangos-Cortés, J.O., et al . (2018). Genetic structure of Lima bean ( Phaseolus lunatus L. ) landraces grown in the Mayan area. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolultion . 65 (1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-017-0525-1 (link is external) .

They cite the following to support their argument in favor of these three lines:

Serrano-Serrano ML, Hernandez-Torres J, Castillo-Villamizar G, Debouck DG, Chacón, MI. (2010) Gene pools in wild Lima bean ( Phaseolus lunatus L.) from the Americas: Evidences for an Andean origin and past migrations. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 54 :76–87. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.08.028 (link is external) .

Serrano-Serrano ML, Andueza-Noh RH, Martínez-Castillo J, Debouck DG, Chacón, MI. (2012) Evolution and domestication of Lima bean ( Phaseolus lunatus L.) in Mexico: Evidence from ribosomal DNA. Crop Science , 52 :1698–1712. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2011.12.0642. (link is external)

Martínez-Castillo J, Camacho-Pérez L, Villanueva-Viramontes S, Andueza-Noh RH, Chacón-Sánchez, MI. (2014) Genetic structure within the Mesoamerican gene pool of wild Phaseolus lunatus (Fabaceae) from Mexico as revealed by microsatellite markers: Implications for conservation and the domestication of the species. American Journal of Botany , 101 (5):851–864. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1300412.

USDA Publications on Lima Beans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture published many materials in the twentieth century to document the scientific development of lima beans and also to help farmers establish, grow, and manage this crop. Here is a sample of these publications.

Wester, R.E. (1958) Downy Mildew-Resistant Fordhook Limas

Three green-seeded downy mildew Fordhooks (156, 1556, and 1656) will be tested extensively in the downy mildew areas this year. During the past season (1957) which was unusually hot and dry, they showed less heat resistance than Fordhook 242 but they will set a good crop of pods during the cool weather of late summer and mature their crop of pods during the downy mildew season. These lines resulted from five backcrosses to Fordhook 242. Approximately 40 F2 downy mildew-resistant Fordhooks from six backcrosses to Fordhook 242 are now growing in the greenhouse. There are white and green-seeded types in these families.Although it has been more difficult to develop a high yielding heat-resistant downy mildew-resistant Fordhook than the bay types, definite progress is being made. --p. 19

Wester, R.E. (1963) Green-Seeded Downy Mildew-Resistant Fordhook Lima Beans

Three new green-seeded downy mildew-resistant Fordhook lima beans(U.S. 561, 861, and 1061) showed considerable promise in Maryland, New Jersey, and Long Island in 1961 and 1962. They resisted downy mildew (Phytophthora phaseoli Thaxt.) strain "A" which in some years causes considerable damage to lima beans in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Their yields equalled or exceeded those of Fordhook 242. Plants of the new lines are slightly shorter and more compact than those of Fordhook 242 and have short racemee that produce a heavy crop of pods below the foliage, thus preventing flower drop which often results from excessive heat, drought, wind, and rain. Pods reach prime marketable condition 4 to 6 days later than Fordhook 242 and remain in this condition several days longer. The pods are approximately as long and thick as Fordhook 242 but not quite so wide. The shelled beans are slightly smaller than those of Fordhook 242 and darker green in frozen pack. The quality of the cooked beans is excellent. --pp. 28-29

Wester, R.E. (1965) Lima Bean Investigations

Downy mildew on the move in 1964. Downy mildew, Phytophthora phaseoli, Thaxt. strain B was observed on September 1,1964, on Thaxter bush lima bean two miles west of Shiloh, New Jersey, which is 10 miles southwest of the Pittsgrove area where this strain was first observed in 1958. It was inactive in 1959 and in 1960 spread slightly north of Pittsgrove and six miles south to six other locations that extended to the Research Center of Seabrook Farms Company at Bridgeton, New Jersey. From 1961 through 1963 this strain did not re-occur in any of the previously mentioned locations. --p. 49

Wester, R.E. (1967) Introducing Green Seeded Fordhook Bush Lima Beans

Green Seeded Fordhook lima bean (tested under U.S, 86l), which is resistant to downy mildew strain A, was released to lima bean seedsmen in the spring of 1966, This is the first green-seeded Fordhook variety released to the trade. --p. 28

Corbett, L. C. (1923) Beans . Farmers' Bulletin , Number 289, revised

Lima beans are of very great commercial value, but are not sufficiently appreciated as a table food because it is not generally known that in a dry state they can be used in practically the same manner as are the common beans. In reality they are richer and more delicate in flavor than the common beans, and can be used in as many different ways. The virtues of these types as green beans need only a passing mention, and their value as an accompaniment of corn in succotash is well known to every consumer of canned goods.

--pp. 16-17

Harter, L.L. and Zaumeyer, W.J. (1932) Bean Diseases and Their Control, Farmers' Bulletin Number 1692

Downy mildew of Lima beans can be recognized by the white, cottony growth which forms in large patches on the pods. It sometimes occurs on the tender shoots and flower parts and occasionally on the leaves. The young branches are distorted, but a profuse fungous growth, such as is found on the pods, does not occur on them. A purplish border separates the dense cottony growth on the pod from the healthy tissue. The fungous threads grow through the pods and into the seed, where the organism may live through the winter. Such seed, if planted, may be a source of the disease the next year. If the pods become diseased while quite young they usually wither and die without producing seed. Downy mildew may cause heavy damage during seasons favorable for the development of the fungus. It is favored by wet weather, cool nights, heavy dews, and fairly warm days. The disease is most prevalent along the Atlantic seaboard, but has been reported inland and from California. It is spread by winds, rains, pickers, and probably by insects and other means. --pp. 23-24

Boswell, V.R. and Wester, R.E. (1944) Growing Vegetables in Town and City, U.S. Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication Number 538

Of the pole types of white lima beans, the small-seeded Carolina, or Sieva, is probably the most dependable, although its quality is only fair. King of the Garden is a large-seeded variety of high quality, but under many conditions it is less productive than Sieva. Florida Butter is a purple-and-buff speckle-seeded kind popular in the South. Henderson Bush is the most important dwarf lima; it is the one grown most for canning and as dry baby lima beans. It is a dependable bearer, but only fair in quality. Green-seeded strains of this type are now available. Fordhook and Burpee are favorite large-seeded dwarf kinds of high quality, but they frequently are unproductive under adverse conditions. Early Market and Fordhook 242, two new varieties having medium-sized seeds and high quality, are more productive than Fordhook and Burpee in the middle part of the country. --p. 25

Beattie, J.H. and Wester, R.E. (1951) Suburban and Farm Vegetable Gardens , Home and Garden Series Number 9

A good garden adds materially to the well-being of the family by supplying foods that might not otherwise be provided. Fresh vegetables direct from the garden are superior in quality to those generally sold on the market, and in addition are readily available when wanted. As a large number of farmers now use lockers and home freezers, even more of the vegetables from the garden can be utilized than when canning and fall storage were the only means of preservation. This publication, intended for country-wide distribution, gives only general information. Any gardener using it needs also local information, especially on the earliest and latest safe planting dates for vegetables and any special garden practices and varieties that are best for his location. Gardeners may get local information and advice from their State agricultural experiment stations (locations below), agricultural extension services, agricultural colleges, and county agents. Farmers' Bulletin 2000, Home Vegetable Gardening in the Central and High Plains and Mountain Valleys, will be especially useful to gardeners in that part of the United States. More detailed information on most of the crops discussed in this bulletin can be obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C. It is not the purpose of this publication to go into details of the preservation, use, and storage of vegetables. Publications of the Department cover those subjects.

Wester, R.E. (1972) Growing Vegetables in the Home Garden, Home and Garden Bulletin Number 202

Two types of lima beans, called butter beans in the South, are grown in home gardens. Most of the more northerly parts of the United States, including the northern New England States and the northern parts of other States along the Canadian border, are not adapted to the culture of lima beans. Lima beans need a growing season of about 4 months with relatively high temperature; they cannot be planted safely until somewhat later than snap beans. The small butter beans mature in a shorter period than the large-seeded lima beans. The use of plant protectors over the seeds is an aid in obtaining earlier fruiting of the crop. Lima beans may be grown on almost any fertile, well-drained, mellow soil, but it is especially desirable that the soil be lighttextured and not subject to baking, as the seedlings cannot force their way through a hard crust. Covering with some material that will not bake, as suggested for other beans, is a wise precaution when using heavy soils. Lima beans need a soil somewhat richer than is necessary for kidney beans, but the excessive use of fertilizer containing a high percentage of nitrogen should be avoided. Both the small- and large-seeded lima beans are available in pole and bush varieties. In the South, the most commonly grown lima bean varieties are Jackson Wonder, Nemagreen, Henderson Bush, and Sieva pole ; in the North, Thorogreen, Dixie Butterpea, and Thaxter are popular small-seeded bush varieties. Fordhook 242 is the most popular midseason large, thick-seeded bush lima bean. King of the Garden and Challenger are the most popular large-seeded pole lima bean varieties. --p. 38

Emily Marsh, Ph.D., MLS

Page content curated by.

10 Ways To Upgrade A Breakfast Burrito

Breakfast burritos are a staple. This hugely popular breakfast and brunch option is something many people like to make at home. But after the 10th time of making the same old recipe, you might be getting bored of it. You still love them, but you're looking for ways to upgrade your breakfast burrito. You're certainly not alone in this feeling. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing — luckily, the solution is to make it even better.

You might think that your current go-to breakfast burrito is perfectly good. Still, it could absolutely be improved, and there are so many ways to go about it. For instance, if you like eggs in yours, as many do, you could experiment with new ways of cooking them. This can turn a classic burrito into something special. Or if you always put cheddar or Monterey Jack in your burrito, perhaps there's another type of cheese you could try to take things to the next level. That's just the tip of the iceberg. A few simple tweaks here and there can make all the difference.

We're about to explain our 10 favorite ways to upgrade a breakfast burrito. You could try just one of these methods and it would be an improvement. Combine several and you're on your way to a breakfast burrito more epic than anything you've tried before. Breakfast will never be the same again.

Use homemade or locally sourced tortillas

The tortilla is the foundation on which a great breakfast burrito is built. If you're used to using cheap ones or whatever you can find at the supermarket, you could do better. A simple way to upgrade your burrito is to use homemade tortillas, or if you're not confident in your tortilla-making skills, locally sourced ones.

Not only do high-quality tortillas taste better, they're also a more solid wrap for your fillings. It's no good making a burrito with the perfect combination of fillings if your tortilla won't hold them. A great version is soft and pliable yet strong, so it can keep hold of anything you can fill it with.

Flour tortillas are the right choice for burritos, not corn. You can find plenty of easy flour tortilla recipes if you want to learn to make your own. The process is simpler than you might think and generally uses basic ingredients that you might already have to hand. That said, we know that not everyone wants to wake up early to make a stack of tortillas before they can even start with the fillings.

A perfect alternative is to source some locally made wraps. You might find some great options at your nearest Mexican grocer. Some burrito joints will also sell you their handmade tortillas if you ask. This way, you get a top-notch product that's potentially more structurally sound than the homemade versions someone unpracticed might make.

Try different ways of cooking your eggs

Eggs are a common ingredient in breakfast burritos. After all, eggs are a common breakfast food, so it makes sense that they'd make an appearance. It's like they bridge the gap between breakfast and burrito. Usually, they contain scrambled eggs. However, an easy way to take your breakfast burrito to the next level is to try some other ways of cooking your eggs.

Using a fried egg is a nice change. With crispy edges and a slightly greasy finish — in a good way — it's an indulgent alternative to classic scramble. You can choose to fry them until firm all the way through or leave the yolk runny so that it oozes when you bite into it. If you're a poached egg fan, this is another potential egg upgrade. There are a range of mistakes to avoid when poaching eggs , but when you get it right, it can really elevate a breakfast burrito. It's a perfect choice if you're into a runny yolk mixing with th4e other ingredients.

Boiled eggs can also work well in burritos. Soft-boiled eggs are another excellent pick for lovers of a runny yolk. If you don't want to risk things getting messy but you don't want a totally hard yolk, you could try cooking it to the waxy stage. This is between soft-boiled and hard-boiled and gives you a waxy yolk that's soft but not runny.

Experiment with cheese varieties

Some cheeses are classic go-to options for breakfast burritos. Cheddar is a common choice, as is Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, and Gouda. Some people like strong cheese in this context, while others prefer milder options. However, whatever your preferences, you can experiment with cheese varieties in your burrito to elevate it beyond the everyday.

There are thousands of cheese varieties, so the list you can choose from is seemingly endless. We have some favorite European cheeses you need to try at least once , but there are excellent options from the U.S., Latin America, the Middle East, and more. This means you've got so many opportunities to try something new — and upgrade your burrito.

If you want a bold flavor, you could try a blue cheese, such as Stilton or Roquefort, or a strong goat cheese. You could opt for a Mexican cheese since that's where the burrito originates from. Cotija, queso fresco, and Manchego are all delicious options. Or perhaps you want something mild. Edam and Swiss cheese would both lend a slight sweetness to complement the more robust or spicy fillings in your burrito. Plus, there are lesser-known mild cheeses, such as Chilean Chanco or Dolce Sardo from the Italian island of Sardinia. Whatever you go for, it can bring a new dimension to your breakfast wrap.

Make your own salsa — and get creative with it

For many people, salsa is a must-have in a breakfast burrito. It's what differentiates between breakfast foods in a wrap and a burrito, bringing some Mexican flair. If you usually use store-bought salsa, an easy upgrade is to make it yourself from scratch. It'll taste better and you can get creative with the flavors.

Tomato salsa is perhaps the best-known and most widely used option, but salsa goes way beyond that. Fruit salsas are common and act as a nice contrast to richly savory fillings. There are some options that you may have already tried, such as mango salsa and peach salsa, but you can also find more unusual versions, like strawberry or watermelon salsas. Charred corn salsa is delicious, with sweetness from the corn and a complex smokiness from the charring.

Of course, if you love a classic tomato salsa, that's just fine. You might look at all your other options and decide that a basic red salsa is still what you want. Making it from scratch is likely going to result in a fresher sauce with a more vibrant flavor. Yes, it takes longer than popping open a jar, but it's worth it. Or if you don't have the time to make it from scratch, there's the option to make a creamy salsa by mixing store-bought tomato salsa with sour cream, lime juice, and seasonings. It tastes like it could be homemade with minimal time and effort.

Add avocado or homemade guacamole

Sometimes a breakfast burrito can only be improved by a buttery creaminess that just one thing can bring: avocado. You might think of avocado as something strictly in the realm of regular burritos, but you can absolutely eat it in breakfast versions, too. And, it only makes sense. After all, avocado toast is a hugely popular breakfast and brunch food.

You might choose to make homemade guacamole for your breakfast burrito. That way, you get those creamy avocado notes balanced by lime, onion, and tomato to cut through the richness. If this is your plan, you might be interested to know the secret behind restaurant-worthy guac : use one lime for every avocado. Depending on the other fillings, the flavor profile of guacamole might not be quite right.

In this case, you can simply slice, dice, or mash avocado and load it into your burrito. Some people prefer chunks of avocado, while others prefer a mashed consistency. The benefit of mashing is that you can add other seasonings of your choice. You can throw in salt and pepper as a bare minimum, but you could also add some lemon or apple cider vinegar, and any herbs and spices that would work well with your other fillings. However you prefer to add avocado to your breakfast burrito, it makes an excellent filling.

Make your own refried beans

Some people like to use refried beans in their breakfast burritos. If this sounds like you, it's likely you use whatever refried beans you find at the store. Sure, these might be just fine but they're no replacement for homemade refried beans. Making your own refried beans is a great way to upgrade that burrito. The flavor of homemade refried beans is incomparable to the homemade kind. Plus, you have the option to adjust the seasonings and other ingredients to complement the other fillings. For instance, you might prefer to have milder seasonings with your breakfast than you might otherwise find in refried beans so you can choose what to put in and what to leave out.

If you're not sure where to start, you can start with a basic refried beans recipe and adjust from there. Generally, you'll start with canned beans. However, some people like to go out and use dried beans. The flavor is excellent if you do this, but we realize it takes tons of time and you might not want to cook them at home. There are some beans that you absolutely should use for refried beans and others you shouldn't . For instance, pinto beans and black beans are ideal, while red kidney beans and lima beans don't work so well in this capacity.

Use fresh herbs

Fresh herbs have this magical ability to pretty much instantly upgrade any dish you use them in. Just a sprinkle of this greenery can make a fairly basic dish taste special. Fresh herbs work brilliantly in breakfast burritos. Not only do they add extra flavor, but they also bring some freshness to cut through the kinds of common ingredients that can be quite stodgy, like eggs, cheese, and potatoes.

What's cool about herbs is that there's a huge variety of them and many of them will work really well in a breakfast burrito. Woody herbs, such as thyme or rosemary, should be cooked with other ingredients before you add them. If you simply put them in without cooking, they would be a little hard and unpleasant to eat. There are various ways you could add these kinds of herbs to your breakfast burrito. For example, you could cook some rosemary roast potatoes to use as one of your fillings, or you might put some fresh thyme leaves in with your eggs.

Soft herbs, such as parsley and cilantro, you can simply chuck into your burrito before wrapping it. They act a bit like a salad leaf, but way more flavorful. Cilantro is an obvious choice for this kind of dish because it's commonly used in Mexican cuisine. However, it's totally fine to branch out and try something new.

Experiment with veggies

Vegetables can be a great way to level up your breakfast burrito. There's a whole world of veggies out there, and many of them can bring extra flavor that isn't usual in this kind of breakfast. Experimenting with different types and combinations of vegetables can really kick things up a notch. It might be fairly usual to include some diced bell pepper in a breakfast burrito, for instance, but what about something more unexpected?

As vegetables go, mushrooms feel pretty breakfast appropriate, so why not add them to your breakfast burrito? Mushrooms sautéed in butter or oil with garlic and fresh thyme would be a delicious addition. Or perhaps you want to go more indulgent, you could try making some creamy mushrooms and adding those to your burrito.

Sweet potato is another great choice, especially if you want a change from regular white potato. Sweet potato is still carby and filling, but it gives you a different range of flavors. What's more, the sweetness can be balanced nicely with Mexican spices and lime. You could also try turning to the seasons when deciding what vegetables to add to your breakfast burritos. For instance, you could make summer vegetable burritos with things like tomatoes, zucchini, and corn. Or when winter rolls around, you could reach for brassicas, such as cauliflower and broccoli, or root veggies like carrots and rutabaga.

Try a range of spice blends

When you season the fillings in your breakfast burrito, you might reach for a classic Tex-Mex spice blend, such as a generic taco seasoning. Or perhaps you season it with a range of individual herbs and spices commonly used in Mexican cuisine, such as cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and oregano. If these are your go-to's, you could breathe some new life into your usual burrito recipe by trying other spice blends.

You can find all kinds of spice blends from around the world . Spicy Ethiopian berbere will bring a kick to your burrito, but with fragrant spices that you wouldn't usually expect in a burrito, such as fenugreek and cardamom. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that generally brings a flavorful range of spices with little, if any, heat. The exact blend varies, but can include coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise. So, you have some of the flavors you might expect from burrito filling, with some new and unusual ones.

Alternatively, you could go for something completely unexpected, such as za'atar, which either contains the herb za'atar or a blend of thyme, oregano, and marjoram, plus sumac, and sesame seeds. These are just three options out of hundreds of spice blends found across the globe, some more common and widely available than others. So, try something new and you might be surprised at how much you like it.

Toast the exterior for texture

Usually, breakfast burritos are served in soft, warmed tortillas. They may even be wrapped in foil before serving, which steams the exterior and makes it even softer. There's nothing wrong with this kind of pliable exterior. In fact, for some people, it's a defining feature of a breakfast burrito. But part of upgrading dishes is trying out something new, and toasting or grilling the outside is one way to go.

You can toast a burrito in a dry skillet or grill pan after you've finished wrapping it. This gives the exterior some crunch without making it greasy. Sometimes, breakfast burritos can be one-note in terms of texture. The soft tortilla gives way to pillowy eggs and melted cheese. So, by grilling the outside, you're introducing a much-needed layer of texture. There's an added bonus, too. Toasting it along the seam can help to keep the burrito closed. If you're sick of your burrito fillings spilling out, this might be an answer.

Afternoon Activities

Our Budding Scientist & a Lima Bean Dissection

Yesterday, as we were using some big lima beans for a project (more on that later!), Gracen began trying to open one. She was super determined and managed to flake off little bits of the bean’s outer layer, but she didn’t get much further than that. When she asked me how we could open the bean, I remembered one of my favourite science projects I did each year with my first graders here in Kuwait… A bean seed dissection. Though normally the munchkins I do it with are 6 years old, I try my very best to follow Gracen’s lead and interests when it comes to activities, and I knew she’d just love dissecting some seeds.

I told her about my ‘secret’ trick for opening seeds (soaking them in water overnight first) and she ran to get a dish and filled it with her very favourite beans. We covered the beans completely with room temperature water, and when we checked in on them this morning, they looked like this – plump, soft, and in some cases, beginning to open.

Grae was excited. Each with a bean in hand, I began opening mine by running my fingernail vertically along the curved outside edge of the seed. Grae watched intently and then began to do the same with hers, peeling the thin paper-like coating off of the seed when ready.

When she’d removed it completely, I told her that the thin outside covering was actually called a seed coat, which she found quite hysterical. I asked if she had any guesses as to what its job was and her response was, ‘To protect it like a jacket?’ Smart little cookie!

With the seed coat removed, we took a closer look at the inside parts. I asked her if she could see the ‘baby plant’ (also known as the embryo) and after surveying the bean carefully, pointed to the little worm-like structure topped with miniature-looking leaves – yup! I asked if she knew what the rest of the bean was, but she wasn’t sure, so I explained that it was the ‘food’ (also known as the cotyledon) that helped the baby plant start growing eventually.

Parts of a Lima Bean Seed | Mama Papa Bubba

Here’s a closer look at all of the parts. While we normally stick to the real names for things, in this case, I did mention the terms ’embryo’ and ‘cotyledon’, but mostly used ‘baby plant’ and ‘food’ as they allowed her to put her background knowledge of both terms to use.

Miss G was so into this that she dissected every single one of our beans, talking about the parts and sorting them along the way. The very best part is when she looked up at me and said, ‘Mama, today I’m just a lil’ scientist, but one day I’ll be a big ACTUALLY scientist’. Oh my heavens, why don’t you make my heart burst a little more, okay Lulu?

When she was done dissecting, all of the parts got a bath in some fresh water (Grae’s initiative), and these little baby plants got saved because, ‘Mama, they’re BABIES!!!’ Right. Of course.

To see some of our other favourite science explorations, click here .

For more fun not found on the blog, join us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram .

2 thoughts on “ Our Budding Scientist & a Lima Bean Dissection ”

Your photos are fantastic. Great post.

Great ideas here! Love it and will try it in my class this year. Thanks!