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Conserving bean leaf vegetables

Source:

https://www.accessagriculture.org/conserving-bean-leaf-vegetables

Duration:

00:11:00

Year of Production:

2018

Source/Author:

NASFAM

„Bean leaves are rich in proteins and vitamins. To have them available during the dry season, you can dry and store them.“

Eating vegetables is essential for human health. They can be harvested in wet seas0n, dried and stored for use in dry season.

Bean leaves have a lot of vitamins, proteins, vitamins A and C and minerals iron and calcium. Pick tender leaves at about 7 weeks after planting and stop picking, when flowering begins.

Do‘s and don‘ts

Ensure plants are old enough (about 7 weeks) before picking starts. Only pick healthy tender leaves, in the morning, and allow some weeks in between two pickings. Leave some leaves and stop picking before flowering. Do not pick old leaves. Leaves for human consumption should not be sprayed with chemicals.

Cooking an d drying

You can dry the leaves immediately, but most people prefer them preboiled. After picking, wash the leaves in clean water. Remove stems and cut the leaves into small pieces. Boil them for about 20 minutes and get them off the fire. They are drained in a porous basket and cooled down.

Spread them on a mat raised from the ground in the sun. Regularly turn them for even drying. After complete drying, store them in leaf balls in a dry place.

The leaves can be eaten or sold at any time of the year. Pumpkin leaves and cow pea leaves can also be conserved the same way.

Sequence from	Sequence to	Description
00:00	00:23	Introduction Eating vegetables daily is important for people‘s health.
00:24	01:06	Leafy vegetables contain a lot of proteins, vitamins A and C, and minerals ie iron and calcium.
01:07	01:15	In the wet season, there are plenty of bean leaves. You need conservation to have them available in dry season.
01:16	01:26	Leaves can be picked from both climbing and bush beans.
01:27	01:44	Dont spray plants with chemicals and ensure plants are old enough before picking starts.
01:45	02:03	Do not pick the first three pairs of leaves and the bottom leaves.
02:04	02:50	Pick on sunny days, in the morning and choose only tender leaves.
02:51	02:56	Leave the growing tip.
02:57	03:00	Only pick healthy leaves without insects.
03:01	03:10	Leave some time between two pickings.
03:11	03:39	Leave some leaves to the plant and stop picking leaves before flowering.
03:40	03:50	The quantity processed depends on field size, available space for drying and sunlight.
03:51	04:08	You can conserve leaves by drying in solar drier. Some people prefer them pre boiled.
04:09	04:23	Prepare the leaves the same day picked but if left over night, spread them on a mat under a roof.
04:24	04:32	Process: Prepare the cooking utensils and a clean dry mat.
04:33	04:41	Place the pot with little water on the fire.
04:42	04:48	Wash the leaves with clean water.
04:49	04:55	Remove stems and cut leaves into small pieces.
04:56	05:02	Place the leaves into the boiling water and cover.
05:03	05:09	Boil for about 20 minutes and turn them over once.
05:10	05:31	Remove pot from the fire the leaves loose their green colour.
05:32	05:40	Remove them from the pot to allow them cool down.
05:41	05:45	Put them in a porous basket to drain water.
05:46	06:14	After cooling, spread them on a raised clean dry mat for drying.
06:15	06:45	Turn the leaves regularly and store only when completely dry.
06:46	08:07	Store in dried leaf balls.
08:08	09:18	Hang dried leaf balls in the kitchen or another airy dry place. Keep them covered always.
09:19	09:38	Can also conserve pumpkin and cow pea leaves the same way.
09:39	11:00	Summary and credits

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