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Southern Lima Beans
(Butter Beans)
October 6, 2020
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Butter beans, lima beans, dried lima beans,
large limas, pocketbook beans, mule ears, the
list goes on and on. These delicious dried
beans go by a host of different names. The
truth is, they’re lima beans. Whether they’re
green, speckled, white, cream colored, dried
or fresh – they’re all varieties of lima beans.
Now, I’ll admit I grew up calling these large
limas or dried limas and called their smaller
green to cream colored fresh counter parts
butter beans (like these). And I’m not alone.
I surveyed y’all on Facebook and saw that
quite a few follow my naming nomenclature,
while others were the opposite. Many of you
call these large dried beans butter beans. And
with more than 1,000 replies at last check,
y’all are pretty passionate about what you
call ’em.
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Here’s what I know for sure… Call them
whatever you will. Just don’t call me late to
supper when these babies are on the menu.
My recipe for cooking them is simple,
straightforward, and only calls for a handful
of ingredients, but it’s the method that really
matters. Let’s jump in…
Now, my mom taught me that with all dried
beans, they need to be soaked before cooking
– whether using the overnight or the quick
soak method. Now, since I know she’s
reading this (Hi, Mom!), I’ll fall short of
saying she’s wrong, but I will say that we
now know better. Yep, modern science and
testing have revealed that soaking beans
really doesn’t do much other than cut down
on the cook time (which isn’t a huge
difference anyway).
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Since it’s how I learned to cook, I’m a strong
proponent of the philosophy that the way
your mom or grandma did it is the right
way. So if you want to soak your beans, by
gosh you need to soak those beans. But the
truth is that if you don’t have time to soak,
(or just don’t want to) you’re going to come
out with some super delicious beans either
way.
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Now for me, these large dried limas should
be swimming in a thick, rich broth that’s
super creamy. It’s the way mom made them
and after a few tests, the trick to getting
them that way is super simple. You have to
stir them.
You see those beans right above here? Those
beans were cooked using the exact same
method and ingredients, but I only stirred
them twice. The result is mainly whole
beans and a relatively thin, clear broth.
Now these down here below were stirred
quite a bit more. The stirring broke some of
the beans up and the starch from those beans
thickened the broth and made for a hearty,
thick sauce to coat the beans. This is how
Mom made them.
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Either way is delicious, it’s just all in how
you like them.
Now while some recipes calls for onion,
garlic, even carrots, Mom made her beans
with just water, smoked meat, salt, and
pepper. Often she would also include a pinch
of ground ginger as many claim it helps with
the uh… um, “after effects” of eating a bowl
full of beans, but there’s no scientific
evidence of that being true.
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Outside of the beans themselves, most of the
flavor comes from the salt and the smoked
meat. I keep ham hocks frozen for this
> because I think they add the most flavor to
dishes like this, but a ham bone, smoked
turkey wings, smoked pork neck bones, or
even smoked sausage can be used to get that
smoky flavor.
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Regardless of what you call them and
whether you stir them or not, these beans
are a hearty, delicious side (or even main
dish) that’s perfect alongside some piping
hot cornbread. In my family, beans like this
have always been served with some raw
onion. I’ve heard others say they add
mayonnaise or even ketchup to them. No
matter what goes with them, I know you’re
going to love them! Y’all enjoy!
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Bharat-India
Cap - Navy
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Made for shade: solidly
constructed team caps
with dull gold metal
buckle straps and richly…
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4.96 from 22 votes
Southern Lima Beans
(Butter Beans)
Servings: 8 to 10
Author: Stacey Little | Southern Bite
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Ingredients
1 pound large dried lima beans
1 large smoked ham hock*
9 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions
1. Rinse the beans and check for any
foreign particles.
2. Add the beans to a large pot or
dutch oven. Add the ham hock,
water, and salt. Bring to a boil,
reduce the heat to a low boil, and
cook for about 20 minutes. Reduce
the heat to a simmer, cover tightly
and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or
until the beans are tender to your
liking. Add water to keep the beans
just covered. Stir less frequently to
allow the beans to stay intact, or stir
more often to create a thick, rich
broth. Be sure to see the blog post
for details. Add the pepper and
additional salt to taste. If desired,
remove the hock, shred the meat,
and return it to the pot.
Slow Cooker Method:
1. Place beans, water, ham hock, salt
and pepper in a 6 quart slow cooker
and cover. Cook on high for 5 hours
(or low for 7 to 8 hours) or until the
beans are tender to your liking. Stir
well and adjust seasoning to your
taste. If needed, add hot water to
the beans to keep them covered as
to not drop the temperature as they
cook. If desired, remove the hock,
shred the meat, and return it to the
slow cooker.
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Notes
*A smoked ham bone, smoked pork
neck bones, smoked turkey wings, or
smoked sausage will also work. You'll
need about 1 pound.
Making This Recipe?
Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernBite
using the hashtag #SouthernBite, so I
can see how it turned out!
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Comments
Barbara says
October 6, 2020 at 11:12 am
When I use the Crock Pot or the pressure cooker,
when almost done, I dip a cup or two out of the
pot and smash them up with a fork. Then put
them back into the pot and stir. This helps give
them the thick, creamy liquid. Taste wonderful!
Reply
Stacey says
October 6, 2020 at 11:33 am
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Cynthia McElhatten says
January 6, 2021 at 11:46 pm
