It is especially recommended to add extra minced garlic at the end of cooking dishes with autumn lima beans. This not only changes the flavor but, more importantly, it helps the body kill bacteria and detoxify.
Wang Yi, Director of the Diet and Nutrition Department at the Guang'anmen Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, told me a couple of days ago that a friend of his was worried because the weather is getting cooler and the canteen has stopped serving lima beans. I understood that his concern was about the risk of autumn lima bean poisoning.
In fact, not buying or cooking them is just a temporary measure, not a real solution. The key to safely eating autumn lima beans (also known as fall lima beans) lies in mastering the cooking method. In autumn lima beans, the content of lectins and hemolysins, which are toxic to the human body, is relatively high. Furthermore, some autumn lima beans contain a hemolysin called piperidine-2 in their skin, which can only be neutralized by high-temperature heating. Therefore, if autumn lima beans are not cooked for the right amount of time and at the right temperature, they can cause poisoning. They must be cooked thoroughly before consumption to inactivate the toxic lectins and hemolysins.
In addition, it is highly recommended to add extra minced garlic towards the end of cooking autumn lima bean dishes. This not only enhances the flavor but, more importantly, it helps the body to kill bacteria and detoxify. This way, you can enjoy the delicious taste and nutrition of autumn lima beans without worrying about food poisoning.