Improving the Consumer Quality of Organic Dry Beans through Genetic Improvement and Innovative Processing Methods
Project Director
Karen Cichy
Year Funded
2018
Award Number
2018-51300-28433
Funded Institution
USDA ARS Peoria, IL
Grant Program
OREI (Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative)
USDA NIFA Report
Project Overview
Poor eating quality of organic canned beans compared to their conventional counterparts poses a marketing challenge for organic dry bean farmers. This project addressed this problem through plant breeding and selection for end use quality, improved harvesting practices to optimize moisture content and minimize seed coat check (SCC) damage (which degrades canning quality), and improved processing and packaging in flexible retort pouches.
Farmer Takeaways
(1) Harvesting dry beans at 18% moisture (vs. 12%) reduces seed coat check (SCC) damage and improves canning quality.
(2) Large-seeded (kidney) beans are more susceptible to SCC than small-seeded types.
(3) Cultivars within a type vary widely in yield, SCC susceptibility, and processing quality. Breeding and selection for all three traits is underway at Michigan State University.
(4) Calcium chloride (NOP-allowed) in hydration water but not the canning brine improves texture and minimizes additive in the final product.
(5) Preserving beans in flexible retort pouches improves quality over metal cans.
Project Outputs
Wang, W., Cichy, K., & Bales, S. 2023. “Mechanical seed coat damage in dry beans and its effect on end-use product quality.” Michigan State University Extension.
Wang, W., Siddiq, M., Dolan, K., Cichy, K. 2024. “Processing and Quality Evaluation of Dry Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Flexible Pouches.” Legume Science.