butter beans - FYI

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sibelclair
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butter beans - FYI

Post by sibelclair »

Hello

I went to the grocery store today and I searched for butter beans. I saw lots of kinds of beans but dind't find the butter beans.

So I did a little research on the net to find out that there is another name for the butter beans. They are called also lima beans.

There are two common varieties of lima bean — the baby lima bean and the Fordhook — but don't confuse them as the same bean in different stages of development. The Fordhook is larger, lighter in color, and has a stronger taste than the baby lima, but it is not a grown-up baby — it is a separate variety.

In the south of the United States, Fordhook lima beans are commonly called butter beans.
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grambonnie5
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by grambonnie5 »

I finally found them here is southern Utah as well. I kept looking in the bean section of the store (black, kidney, garbanzo, etc.) but where I found them was in the canned vegetable section. I think they were next to the corn. Anyway, all they had is the Bush brand and there is sugar in the ingredient list. I read where I can rinse them well and use them anyway. I also bought dried lima beans (I assume that these are butter beans) and will try soaking and cooking them myself without the added stuff. I am going to make the butter bean patties today. They sound great.
Last edited by Anonymous on May 24th, 2009, 10:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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sibelclair
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by sibelclair »

Well, if lima beans are not butter beans like they mentioned on the net, well, there is no butter bean in my area. I did two grocery stores and there wasn't any.  :'(

Thank you for your input.

thanks grambonnie5, I haven't checked in that section of the grocery store. I will.
Last edited by sibelclair on May 24th, 2009, 4:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Gwennaford
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by Gwennaford »

Roger Troy Wilson wrote:Hi sibelclair. Be VERY careful, because Lima Beans are Not exactly the same as Butter Beans. Lima Beans are green in color and are a tougher texture of bean. Butter Beans are tan in color and are very light in texture, almost falling apart when cooked. Butter Beans are a staple of Let's Do Lunch, whereas Lima Beans are not...although that said, I LOVE Lima Beans too!

God bless and enjoy,

Roger Troy


Not when you cook 'em from the dry state, RT.  The large white beans you describe are sold dry as "lima beans" in varying sizes from small to GIANT - about 1-1/2 inches long.  The skins are very tough and come loose from the bean when soaking.  One bag listed in the instructions to actually remove the skins before cooking the traditional stovetop way, but I don't have to do this when using the pressure cooker.  They get soft in the short amount of time it takes to cook the beans.  From dry white "lima" beans to soft and creamy Bill's Mashed Potatoes in less than 30 minutes -- they're wonderful!

But you are correct about the fresh, frozen and canned lima beans.  They are green, dry, starchy and tough compared to the large soft white buttery "butter" beans that I can only find canned.
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photojenics
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by photojenics »

I found canned "butter beans" today, and the ingredients said they were large limas. So over in the dry bean section I saw large limas that were off-white and flat as described here. They also had "baby limas" that were the same color, just smaller. I bought several of each, canned and dry. So, which of the dry ones are really butter beans? *lol*
Jen in N TX

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mrsj
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by mrsj »

They get soft in the short amount of time it takes to cook the beans.  From dry white "lima" beans to soft and creamy Bill's Mashed Potatoes in less than 30 minutes -- they're wonderful!

Hey Gwen, do you soak the dry beans?.......or are you saying with your pressure cooker you can skip that part?
I think that's awesome to go from dry white limas to Bill's Mashed Potatoes in less than 30 min!!!
If you have explained this process before I missed it!  Are there any more details to it?

I love how quick & easy the "potatoes" are from the can of large butter beans, but then I love how the "potatoes" are whiter in color when made from the dry beans. 
mrsj
heretotheend

Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by heretotheend »

I am from the South and butter beans are actually just dried lima beans. My daddy grew lima beans and let some dry on the vines for dried beans. Hope this helps! :thumbsup:
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abertrand
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by abertrand »

Butter Beans are very large and light colored.  They are not the same as the smaller green lima beans.  I'm from Texas and you can find butter beans everywhere.  Thank heavens!  Do a google search for butter beans and you will see the difference between the two.  Good luck finding them.  You can always order them online if you can't find them in the stores.  Also, most stores will order and stock products for you if you ask the manager. :thumbsup:
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heretotheend

Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by heretotheend »

There are 2 distinct varieties---the baby lima and the big Fordhook.Both are pale green, plump bodied and have a slight kidney shaped curve. The Fordhook is just larger and plumper than the baby lima. Fordhook lima's aren't the lighter color until they are dried, thus, especially in the south, you then have butter beans.  I have never seen any fresh picked Fordhook's that were not green in color.  Just as long as you can find what you need for this  WOE it doesn't really matter what we call them.  I plan to cook dried beans as that is the cheapest way to go and not have the added fat that is in a lot of canned vegetables.
Augustin56
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by Augustin56 »

This is good to know.  I've always thought of butter beans as big Lima beans, or Lima beans as young butter beans.  Thanks!
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intune878
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by intune878 »

How can I put a ticker on my profile?  diane

sibelclair wrote:Hello

I went to the grocery store today and I searched for butter beans. I saw lots of kinds of beans but dind't find the butter beans.

So I did a little research on the net to find out that there is another name for the butter beans. They are called also lima beans.

There are two common varieties of lima bean — the baby lima bean and the Fordhook — but don't confuse them as the same bean in different stages of development. The Fordhook is larger, lighter in color, and has a stronger taste than the baby lima, but it is not a grown-up baby — it is a separate variety.

In the south of the United States, Fordhook lima beans are commonly called butter beans.
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jerseybeava
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by jerseybeava »

Hi all, I also had a problem finding butter beans, but i looked in the Goya section and found that they not only had them but they had big cans as well. try there.
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kristine13826
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by kristine13826 »

I tried bean cakes last night made the way the recipe in Lets Do Lunch suggests and they were excellent! Thanks Roger Troy. I really  think you  could also fool people and tell them they were crab cakes or something if you add Old Bay seasoning to it too! :rose:


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jlacotta
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by jlacotta »

I tried the patties, but they seemed too muchy, and weren't easy to flip.  I still ate them,  but they didn't stick together as a pattie.
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Gwennaford
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Pressure Cooking unsoaked beans - FYI

Post by Gwennaford »

mrsj wrote:
They get soft in the short amount of time it takes to cook the beans.  From dry white "lima" beans to soft and creamy Bill's Mashed Potatoes in less than 30 minutes -- they're wonderful!

Hey Gwen, do you soak the dry beans?.......or are you saying with your pressure cooker you can skip that part?
I think that's awesome to go from dry white limas to Bill's Mashed Potatoes in less than 30 min!!!
If you have explained this process before I missed it!  Are there any more details to it?

I love how quick & easy the "potatoes" are from the can of large butter beans, but then I love how the "potatoes" are whiter in color when made from the dry beans.  
mrsj


Sorry I never saw your question until now, MrsJ.  I don't soak my beans before pressure cooking.  I just add 10 minutes to the cooking time and 50% to 75% more water.  If 6 cups of water covers the beans, I add 9-10 cups to unsoaked beans.  My cooker only cooks at 15 psi.

Funny that the smaller the bean, the longer the cooking time.  For example:

Black or navy beans -- soaked, cook for 15-18 minutes.  Unsoaked, cook for 25-28 minutes.

Pintos, red, pink, or Great Northern -- soaked, cook for 13-16 minutes.  Unsoaked 23 to 26 minutes.

Large, Extra Large, or Giant white lima beans (what I use for butter beans) -- soaked, cook for 8-10 minutes.  Unsoaked cook for 18-20 minutes, stay intact, and are tender all the way through.  This is a bonus if you're planning to mash them for betatoes or cakes because the result is drier.  And they are so sweet you'll think you had added sugar.  

I don't like soaking dried butter beans because the tough skins float off, leaving a mushy gelatinous soupy mess that cannot be drained enough to make appetizing mashed betatoes.  It's much worse cooked in a regular pot because the floated-off skins retain a slightly bitter taste and a coarse chewy texture that doesn't puree well.  It would be okay to pass through a strainer or ricer for pureed soup, but not for betatoes.

Another benefit to pressurizing beans is that I can throw in ALL my seasonings at the beginning & it has no effect on the tenderness or cooking times of the beans.  However, I seldom put in much salt or acids when doing the original cooking.  I prefer to leave them a little bland so I can "doctor" them according to each recipe.  I usually put the same thing in every pot -- for two pounds of dried beans I use 3-4 bay leaves, 6-10 peppercorns, 6-10 smashed garlic cloves (they liquify), a few stems of fresh or dried herbs (thyme, oregano &/or rosemary) and a palmful of dried onion flakes (I get them in a giant jug at Sam's).  For black beans & pintos I add several sliced canned jalapeno or serrano peppers.  Sometimes I add a tablespoon of dry bouillon powder or crystals.  Don't use the cubes -- they're nothing but lard & salt.  And never EVER use onion soup mix.  Every time I'm tempted, I just reread the ingredients and throw it right back on the shelf.  Yucko-Mucko!

Beware -- Unsoaked beans can cause more gas because (according to Niki) soaking them removes much of the gas-causing sulphur compounds.  It doesn't bother me, but if anyone is particularly susceptible you can use  Beano.  Also you CAN pressure unsoaked ones for 2 minutes, depressurize according to the mgfr's instructions, drain, refill with fresh water & pressure them for the correct amount of time, less the two minutes.  I don't like to do that because moving large pots of boiling liquid across the room from a seated position, steering the power wheelchair with my elbow is pretty awkward & a recipe for disaster.

Now you know everything I know about pressure cooking beans.  Except one more thing (HA HA - you gotta love me.) You can easily cook four two-pound bags of beans in an afternoon with only one pot.  If you drain some of their cooking liquid you can freeze them flat in gallon- or quart-sized freezer bags.  It's wise to freeze the bags on baking sheets first in case of leaks.

Happy bean cooking & eating! 

Mary I'm looking forward to trying your crab cake recipe!  We had some at Kobe Steak House for Father's Day that were out of this world.  The teppanyaki chef cooked them on the grilltop right in front of us.  They were portioned with an 8-ounce ice-cream scoop and were almost totally crab meat.  I don't know how much they cost as our middle son, (the host) ordered them for our party, but I imagine it was a lot.  I've been wanting to make some ever since.
Last edited by Gwennaford on August 9th, 2009, 10:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mrsj
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Re: butter beans - FYI

Post by mrsj »

Gwen thank you for the info on pressure cooking beans!  I love the detail you give.  I'm printing it out.

I had to look up what you meant by psi - pounds per square inch.
My pressure cooker is an old one.....the kind with the noisy jiggle top......the kind that scares Mary. 
I received it as a newly wed but only used it to cook one thing............frozen lima beans and corn!  I haven't even used it since moving to FL but my interest is peaking.

Gwennaford wrote:Now you know everything I know about pressure cooking beans.  Except one more thing (HA HA - you gotta love me.) You can easily cook four two-pound bags of beans in an afternoon with only one pot.  If you drain some of their cooking liquid you can freeze them flat in gallon- or quart-sized freezer bags.  It's wise to freeze the bags on baking sheets first in case of leaks.
Oh, I don't know about knowing everything you know on cooking beans..........and yeah I do gotta love you!!!! *hug*.
I think you cook more than beans in your pressure cooker.  Should you ever teach Pressure Cooking 101, sign me up! :thumbsup:
Could you please teach it around lunch time? :drool:
Thanks again,
mrsj
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