Physical characteristics as density, water absorbed, and cooking time of 33 cultivars of guandu beans were evaluated. Density was stable during storage among cultivars. The ratio between the initial hydrated mass was over 2.0 until 6 months for most cultivars and the ratio of some cultivars failed to reach over 2.0 at 9 months and at 12 months only 2 cultivars reached a 2.0 ratio. The ratio of initial cooking time to the cooking time at different times showed distinct behavior among cultivars and cultivars L-16 and L-14 had the highest ratios between initial time and a 12-month storage period. These results showed the great variability of the physical characteristics of the varied cultivars studied. Cultivars L-03, L-09, L-29, L-30, and L-36, however, were likely to be selected due to their higher stability concerning storage time.
Guandu beans; density; water absorption; cooking
