Butter Beans / aka Lima Beans

jfer · 02-13-2006, 07:15 PM

I love them.
Not sure how good they are, but...

Can anyone tell me how you prepare dried ones?
I soaked overnight, and the skin came off them, and they all went in half... that isn't supposed to happen is it? or is it? and does the white plasticy looking skin come off?
they are quite old...

a favourite of mine.
cooked for a nice time with garlic, olive oil and tinned chopped tomatos. Yum!

Maggie J · 02-14-2006, 03:27 PM

Lima Beans are one of my favorites. The skin does usually come, not all of it but most. You can soak them overnight but I have a new method which I think works better. You boil a pot of water, put beans in a glass bowl that has a lid, pour boiling water over beans, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Then you are ready to cook them. I cook them with onion, garlic and olive oil. Also if you are going to use tomatoes wait till like the last 20 mins of cooking. The acid in the tomatoes causes them to break down even more!

Have you tried them with brown rice?, they are so yummy together! Also have you had 15 bean soup. It is great too and you prepare it the same way. They have it in cajun and I love it!

Sorry I got so longwinded. I love to cook!

jfer · 02-14-2006, 04:10 PM

I tried cooking them yesterday after soaking but they just went entirely to bits. it was just mush and i'd only simmered for half an hour.
so when you cook them do you take the white skins off?
are they supposed to break in half?
i wonder if mine are too old and been in the cupboard too long.

as a consolation my aduki beans came out great - see my other post about them.

happy cooking!
x

(i love it too!)

Maggie J · 02-14-2006, 04:20 PM

The skins are completely edible. They actually have most of the fiber in them. It sound like either you soaked them to long or they were to old.

Take Care !