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Started By
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Butter beans versus Lima beans
Posted on 8/26/15 at 9:47 am
Posted on 8/26/15 at 9:47 am
Just to make sure everyone is straight on the subject for the WFDT and other threads.
The way I grew up
This is a butter bean:
This is a dry white Lima bean:
Growing up my dad grew butter beans in the garden. We would shell and mom would cook in a large pot seasoned with bacon grease. They would normally be eaten with cornbread, bacon, onion and peppers. Mom would make homemade, from scratch yellow corn bread.
The dry white limas were bought at the grocery store in a clear bag. Mom would cook in a large pot with bacon grease for seasoning and throw in a big ole ham-bone. They would be eaten with cornbread, bacon, onion, and milk (until I discovered it was even better with strawberry Kool-Aid). Mom would make homemade from scratch, white corn bread. The liquid would be like a gravy and I would mash the beans with my fork to make what I had dry and then add more of the liquid. Great stuff !!!
It wasn't the Goya brand and the bag was much larger but this is what the dry whites looked like.
I have really been wanting both of these but they don't serve either in restaurants anymore so I am going to have to learn to make them. I have the recipes for the cornbreads.
Just be sure to use the above (correct) terminology in all food and bean related threads in the future.
Quick recap:
dry white lima
Butter Bean
Oops, butter bean
The way I grew up
This is a butter bean:
This is a dry white Lima bean:
Growing up my dad grew butter beans in the garden. We would shell and mom would cook in a large pot seasoned with bacon grease. They would normally be eaten with cornbread, bacon, onion and peppers. Mom would make homemade, from scratch yellow corn bread.
The dry white limas were bought at the grocery store in a clear bag. Mom would cook in a large pot with bacon grease for seasoning and throw in a big ole ham-bone. They would be eaten with cornbread, bacon, onion, and milk (until I discovered it was even better with strawberry Kool-Aid). Mom would make homemade from scratch, white corn bread. The liquid would be like a gravy and I would mash the beans with my fork to make what I had dry and then add more of the liquid. Great stuff !!!
It wasn't the Goya brand and the bag was much larger but this is what the dry whites looked like.
I have really been wanting both of these but they don't serve either in restaurants anymore so I am going to have to learn to make them. I have the recipes for the cornbreads.
Just be sure to use the above (correct) terminology in all food and bean related threads in the future.
Quick recap:
dry white lima
Butter Bean
Oops, butter bean
14
Posted on 8/26/15 at 9:49 am to Tiger Ree
I grew up with different terminology...."butter beans" are the small, dry white limas, maybe so named because they cook up to the color of butter? AKA feves plats in French, which is also Cajun french slang for a lackluster, lazy, or unambitious person.
Baby green limas are called just that: baby green limas.
Isn't language fun?
Baby green limas are called just that: baby green limas.
Isn't language fun?
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:06 am to hungryone
And to think I entered this thread with joyful anticipation thinking I would finally have a definitive answer to something I've wondered about for quite a while. 
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:07 am to hungryone
quote:
Baby green limas are called just that: baby green limas.
These were always butterbeans to me. I grow them and they are very finicky plants and hard to grow. Just a slight temperature change or rain will make them lose blooms.
I pick them small and shell (or bring to a sheller) and cook with bacon or salt pork. If they stay on the vine they will dry and that is what is bought in the stores as dry beans.
If you want to try something good, cook a batch with bacon then drain, add to food processor with a bit of tahini, salt and pepper. Garlic if you like but I prefer not on this. Blend and make a butterbean hummus. Then cook a few strips of bacon on a rack in the oven, cool and break up into the hummus. The butterbeans make a really light hummus as opposed to the denseness of a chick pea.
I could eat butterbeans or even lima beans every day. And I will add a bit of butter at the end just to hedge my bet.
Great thread. I just had a bushel of speckled beans shelled.
ETA: forgot to say add a bit of lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest to hummus and if needed a drizzle of olive oil.
This post was edited on 8/26/15 at 10:11 am
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:10 am to Tiger Ree
quote:
Just to make sure everyone is straight on the subject for the WFDT and other threads.
The way I grew up
I'm straight on how you grew up. I grew up the opposite. But really we're both right... or wrong. They are technically the same: Phaseolus lunatus. Here's how I view them.
Limas:
Butter beans:
Both are awesome. But I prefer these guys, the speckled butter bean:
Or better still, the butter pea
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:11 am to Martini
quote:
I could eat butterbeans or even lima beans every day.
I could as well.
If beans and nuts were low cal, I would never have to worry about weight ever.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:12 am to Martini
quote:
I could eat butterbeans or even lima beans every day.
Hell yes
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:14 am to LSUballs
I agree with the butter peas. Southside Produce has them frozen (he has the sheller I use) Buys them fresh, shells and freezes immediately. Damn those are good.
TIA- Eat a butter pea instead of butter bean and pretend the carbs aren't included.
TIA- Eat a butter pea instead of butter bean and pretend the carbs aren't included.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:15 am to Martini
quote:
TIA- Eat a butter pea instead of butter bean and pretend the carbs aren't included.
I've never had one. I will have to try and find some.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:18 am to Martini
quote:
TIA- Eat a butter pea instead of butter bean and pretend the carbs aren't included.
I pretend the peas are less gaseous than the beans. The wife aint buying it.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:21 am to LSUballs
quote:
Both are awesome. But I prefer these guys, the speckled butter bean:
And my fave is fresh pinkeye purplehulls. Though I really like 'em all, from crowders to zipper peas to Carolina red peas and lady cream peas.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:26 am to hungryone
The green ones were butter beans here.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:31 am to hungryone
quote:
...."butter beans" are the small, dry white limas, maybe so named because they cook up to the color of butter?
That's all kinda wrong. And likely to get one hung, or at least tarred and feathered, in Carthage, Mississippi, FWIW.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:32 am to Tiger Ree
My grandmother called them all butter beans. And grew them all in her garden. I HATE the speckled ones, and it would disappoint me to no end when she'd say "We're having butterbeans, fried chicken, pintos and cornbread" and she's serve up those stupid speckled ones. Blecch. How I miss that lady.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 10:58 am to SSpaniel
quote:
butterbeans, fried chicken, pintos and cornbread
Two beans at a meal. I'd imagine that was one windy dining room.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 11:10 am to Tiger Ree
Small green were baby limas. Large green were butterbeans. Speckled are speckled butter beans. I love lady cream peas. I got some fresh shelled a few weeks ago. Heavenly.
I use some bacon grease and a smoked hock. Kartchner's smoked hocks are great. I add the hock to the bacon grease and saute that a bit, then I add onions and sweat those. Add whatever liquid I'm using after that and let the hock and onions simmer in that for about an hour before I add the peas or beans. Makes a great stock without overpowering the fresh taste of the peas or beans.
Same with purple hull peas. I haven't had the pinkeyes in a while, though. They're delicious, too.
I use some bacon grease and a smoked hock. Kartchner's smoked hocks are great. I add the hock to the bacon grease and saute that a bit, then I add onions and sweat those. Add whatever liquid I'm using after that and let the hock and onions simmer in that for about an hour before I add the peas or beans. Makes a great stock without overpowering the fresh taste of the peas or beans.
Same with purple hull peas. I haven't had the pinkeyes in a while, though. They're delicious, too.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 11:27 am to OTIS2
quote:
That's all kinda wrong. And likely to get one hung, or at least tarred and feathered, in Carthage, Mississippi, FWIW.
I imagine that's the least of my failings potentially leading to tarring/feathering in Carthage, MS.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 11:34 am to Tiger Ree
I call them all delicious. Locally they grow what's called a Chackbay bean. Those are great too, similar to a field pea.
Posted on 8/26/15 at 11:54 am to CHEDBALLZ
This is what I consider a butterbean. Lima beans are green. Hard to beat good butter beans. Whipped these up Saturday... 
Posted on 8/26/15 at 12:20 pm to Gris Gris
quote:
Small green were baby limas. Large green were butterbeans. Speckled are speckled butter beans
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