Melt-In-Your-Mouth Butter Beans (Lima Beans) | Easy & Delicious Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long should you soak lima beans before cooking? ›

To Overnight-Soak: Place the sorted, washed beans in a pot and add 2-3 cups of water per cup of beans. Cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight (about 8 hours).

You'll see them labeled in different ways in the store, after all: frozen lima beans, canned butter beans, dried large limas—or is it dried large butter beans? Turns out, lima beans and butter beans are the same thing. Both terms refer to the same species, Phaseolus lunatus.

Legumes such as lima beans are a low-glycemic food, making them a great choice for people with diabetes. Beans are rich in soluble fiber, which helps your body absorb carbohydrates more slowly and regulates your blood sugar levels.

Originally Answered: Is it safe to eat the liquid in canned beans? It's safe to consume. But it's usually also rather salty and if you rinse the beans, you may lower the sodium content by as much as 40%. But it's ok to consume that liquid, it can't hurt you.

If you're the impatient, bean-hungry type, you can cook your beans from dry without any soaking at all. Here's the thing: Beans that have not been soaked ahead of time will always take longer to cook, but they will, indeed, cook.

"The biggest myth is the soaking," Yonan says. "It's one of the big reasons people haven't cooked beans as much as they could have, because they feel like it's too late. But I'd like to dispel that one. You don't really have to soak beans." Yonan should know.

There is no difference between lima beans and butter beans, though you can find them for sale at different stages of maturity. The younger green-hued beans, usually identified as baby lima beans, have a starchy texture similar to raw fava beans (which some describe as mealy). You can consume them fresh or cooked.

Most of the time you'd leave the skins on the beans, but for some specific purposes you might remove them (a recipe would probably say).

They're packed full of nutrients

Butter beans are rich in vitamins and minerals, which are important for overall health. A source of potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc, they also contain calcium and protein. Both plant-based foodies and meat-lovers can really benefit from adding butter beans to their diet.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends eating about 3 cups of legumes—like pinto, kidney, or black beans—per week. If you eat about ½ cup of beans every day, you'll meet the weekly Dietary Guidelines for beans.

Do lima beans spike blood sugar? ›

Yes, lima beans are healthy for people with diabetes. It has a low glycemic index, which means it doesn't cause a spike in blood sugar. It also has a high soluble fiber that makes absorbing carbohydrates slow in the body, thus regulating blood sugar levels.

"If you rinse your beans thoroughly, you will have a consistently flavored product, but if you do not rinse them, different amounts of salt will remain in the dish each time you cook it, and it will be hard to cook consistently," he says.

Yes, canned butter beans are pre-cooked and can be eaten straight out of the can. However, cooking them further can enhance their flavor and texture.

When I use canned beans and canned tomatoes, I always drain them (and save the liquid). Not because there's anything wrong with the liquid. As a matter of fact, the liquid is that secret gift. The liquid in good canned beans is just the water and salt the beans were cooked in…

It is possible to soak beans for too long before cooking. Beans should soak for 8 to 10 hours overnight. If they are soaked for longer than 12 hours, they can lose their familiar flavor and become overly mushy. For the best result, refrain from soaking them for too long.

To soak beans the traditional way, cover them with water by 2 inches, add 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon fine salt) per pound of beans, and let them soak for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Drain them and rinse before using.

Quick Soak: This is the fastest method. In a large pot, add 6 cups of water for each pound (2 cups) of dry beans. Heat to boiling; boil for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and soak for at least 1 hour.

Next, place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with two inches of water. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let the beans soak at room temperature for up to eight hours, or refrigerate them for up to 24 hours. Drain the soaked beans in a colander or fine-mesh sieve. Discard the soaking water.