Thread: Butter beans?

OK, my ham-fisted keyboard technique again
precipitated an unexpected "Send".

I was about to ask if any of our resident experts,
of whom there are many, remember some other
use for these wonderful beans, especially the
dried ones.

FWIW: Down here:

Purple hull peas
Black eyed peas
Lady Cream peas (especially delicate)
Butter beans
White beans (think GN, navy or canellini)
Kidney
Small Red Beans (Red Beans and Rice)
Pinto beans
Speckled beans
Cranberry beans
Equadoran beans
(others)

These are all available dried or frozen.

On Sat 13 Jun 2009 01:01:22p, Chemiker told us...

> OK, my ham-fisted keyboard technique again
> precipitated an unexpected "Send".
>
> I was about to ask if any of our resident experts,
> of whom there are many, remember some other
> use for these wonderful beans, especially the
> dried ones.
>
> FWIW: Down here:
>
> Purple hull peas
> Black eyed peas
> Lady Cream peas (especially delicate)
> Butter beans
> White beans (think GN, navy or canellini)
> Kidney
> Small Red Beans (Red Beans and Rice)
> Pinto beans
> Speckled beans
> Cranberry beans
> Equadoran beans
> (others)
>
> These are all available dried or frozen.
>
>

I'v eaten all but a couple of these, and most were simply cooked with a
chunk of bacon or ham hock, onion, and sometimes garlic.

One of my favorite dishes maded with fresh or frozen lima beans is
succotash, made with fresh cut yellow corn. When tender, a small amount of
butter and heavy cream is added and cooked just enough to reduce and
thicken. Also added to that is a bit of fresh thyme.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A nickel's worth of goulash beats a five dollar can of vitamines.
~Martin H. Fischer

Chemiker <[email protected]> writes:

> When I moved to Texas q lifetime ago, I discovered butter
> beans. For the uninitiated, these are dried or frozen big
> lima beans, which, given local traditions up and down
> the Ark/La/Tex area, are simmered under low heat with
> ham hock and maybe onion until tender. Served with:
>
> (your choice)
>
> Trappey's red devil or equivalent
> Tabasco
> Worcestershire sauce
> minced onion
> Mustard vinegar (yes, I saw that once)

> Any ideas about

With one exception, I think you pretty much nailed it. I love 'em
just like you describe. My only reservation is "frozen". Nope, can't
use 'em. Won't use 'em. Otherwise, to die for.

nb

On Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:51:27 -0600, [email protected] wrote:

>Chemiker <[email protected]> writes:

>With one exception, I think you pretty much nailed it. I love 'em
>just like you describe. My only reservation is "frozen". Nope, can't
>use 'em. Won't use 'em. Otherwise, to die for.

I tend to agree, with the exception of Lady Cream Peas. I have
never seen them dried. You either get them fresh, or frozen,
which is next best. SWMBO also introduced me to Noon-Day onions.
A local thing, grown in NoonDay Texas, and only available during
a short season.

At my age, I'm still learning.

Alex

On Jun 13, 12:54*pm, Chemiker <prussianblu...@verizon.net> wrote:
> When I moved to Texas q lifetime ago, I discovered butter
> beans. For the uninitiated, these are dried or frozen big
> lima beans, which, given local traditions up and down
> the Ark/La/Tex area, are simmered under low heat with
> ham hock and maybe onion until tender. Served with:
>
> (your choice)
>
> Trappey's red devil or equivalent
> Tabasco
> Worcestershire sauce
> minced onion
> Mustard vinegar (yes, I saw that once)
>
> Anyway, it's, as A. Brown says, "good eats".
>
> I finally gained some admiration from SWMBO's family
> when I prepared them for the OM, who ate three
> portions while complaining that they weren't what he
> remembered.... <G>
>
> (Next time I gained some points was when I made
> cut chili from scratch and served it. When I heard
> one say "Now *that's* some serious chili!", I guessed
> I had arrived. But that's another story.)
>
> Anyway, there must be some favorite ways to prepare
> this wonderful legume. Last night we had lima beans
> and cheese on top of grilled ham steaks, with romano
> beans/tomato/Asiago and black-eyed peas as sides.
>
> Any ideas about

Man...I LOVE butter beans and lima beans. I can eat a whole can.

On Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:36:44 -0700 (PDT), Chemo the Clown
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Man...I LOVE butter beans and lima beans. I can eat a whole can.

Um, can?

Alex

Chemiker wrote on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:49:18 -0500:

>> Man...I LOVE butter beans and lima beans. I can eat a whole
>> can.

> Um, can?

Not me either, I should have mentioned that I like frozen Lima beans but
not canned.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton wrote:
> Chemiker wrote on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:49:18 -0500:
>
>>> Man...I LOVE butter beans and lima beans. I can eat a whole
>>> can.
>
>> Um, can?
>
> Not me either, I should have mentioned that I like frozen Lima beans but
> not canned.
>
I only like the large dried limas and cooked with sausage. Ham hocks
generally make them more salty than I care for. I slice the sausage into
thin rounds, fry it, drain it, and then add it to the beans along with
onion and garlic. Eaten over Arkansas cornbread or brown rice it is very
good.

I keep canned butter beans on hand for a real quick hummus.

Kalmia wrote on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:31:20 -0700 (PDT):


> I keep canned butter beans on hand for a real quick hummus.

Canned chick peas (garbazos) are better!--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Chemiker wrote:

> When I moved to Texas q lifetime ago, I discovered butter
> beans. For the uninitiated, these are dried or frozen big
> lima beans, which, given local traditions up and down
> the Ark/La/Tex area, are simmered under low heat with
> ham hock and maybe onion until tender.
<snip>
> Anyway, there must be some favorite ways to prepare
> this wonderful legume.

* Simmer butter beans over low heat with pomegranate juice, onions, garlic,
and a tiny bit of cinnamon; sprinkle toasted walnuts in just before serving.

* Simmer butter beans with turmeric; add chopped cilantro after the beans
come off the heat, and top with a dollop of yogurt.

* Cook butter beans in water to which you've added a generous amount of soy
sauce. When beans are soft, drain and top with butter.

* Cook butter beans with sliced celery, then combine with boiled peanuts.
Sprinkle with cayenne, salt, pepper, and (if you have it) finely-ground
grains of paradise.


Bob

There used to be a product, Dennison's Lima Beans & Ham that was
excellent, but it appears they may have been discontinued.

We can't get any Dennison's products here thanks to the corrupt
Texas Legislature declaring Wolf Brand chili the only one acceptable
to Texan's. Hormel beat the lobby, though, and is much better than
that Wolf brand crap.

-sw

On Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:54:36 -0500, Chemiker
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Anyway, there must be some favorite ways to prepare
> this wonderful legume.

Greek bean salad.

Dried beans soaked or canned beans drained.

Make a tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, finely chopped onions
softened. Add chopped fresh or canned tomatoes and some thick tomato
paste. Simmer until starting to thicken.

Add the beans which will soak up the juice as they cook, add a little
water if necessary.

When beans are just cooked add slices sweet onion, pitted black
olives, a handful of chopped parsley and a dash of wine vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper and take off the heat.

Serve just warm, or cold.

Matthew


--
Mail to this account goes to the bit bucket.
In the unlikely event you want to mail me replace usenet with my name

Chemiker wrote:
> When I moved to Texas q lifetime ago, I discovered butter
> beans. For the uninitiated, these are dried or frozen big
> lima beans, which, given local traditions up and down
> the Ark/La/Tex area, are simmered under low heat with
> ham hock and maybe onion until tender. Served with:
>
> (your choice)
>
> Trappey's red devil or equivalent
> Tabasco
> Worcestershire sauce
> minced onion
> Mustard vinegar (yes, I saw that once)
>
> Anyway, it's, as A. Brown says, "good eats".
>
> I finally gained some admiration from SWMBO's family
> when I prepared them for the OM, who ate three
> portions while complaining that they weren't what he
> remembered.... <G>
>
> (Next time I gained some points was when I made
> cut chili from scratch and served it. When I heard
> one say "Now *that's* some serious chili!", I guessed
> I had arrived. But that's another story.)
>
> Anyway, there must be some favorite ways to prepare
> this wonderful legume. Last night we had lima beans
> and cheese on top of grilled ham steaks, with romano
> beans/tomato/Asiago and black-eyed peas as sides.
>
> Any ideas about

I'm just curious as I never thought about it until I read this thread,
is their a big difference in flavor or texture between canned butter
beans, and dry ones? I don't think I have ever had the dry ones.

An example of the difference for me is that I don't use canned green
beans. Major taste and texture difference between the canned and the
fresh or frozen.

Bob

"Bob Muncie" wrote

> I'm just curious as I never thought about it until I read this thread, is
> their a big difference in flavor or texture between canned butter beans,
> and dry ones? I don't think I have ever had the dry ones.

I've never had the canned ones. Dunno.

> An example of the difference for me is that I don't use canned green
> beans. Major taste and texture difference between the canned and the fresh
> or frozen.

Frozen limas are close to fresh limas and canned limas are ok enough but
dried limas (aka butter beans) might as well be a different plant for all
the taste difference.

cshenk wrote:
> "Bob Muncie" wrote
>
>> I'm just curious as I never thought about it until I read this thread, is
>> their a big difference in flavor or texture between canned butter beans,
>> and dry ones? I don't think I have ever had the dry ones.
>
> I've never had the canned ones. Dunno.
>
>> An example of the difference for me is that I don't use canned green
>> beans. Major taste and texture difference between the canned and the fresh
>> or frozen.
>
> Frozen limas are close to fresh limas and canned limas are ok enough but
> dried limas (aka butter beans) might as well be a different plant for all
> the taste difference.
>
>
Thanks cshenk, I'll look to see if I can find the frozen ones to try.

Bob

cshenk wrote:
> "Bob Muncie" wrote
>
>> I'm just curious as I never thought about it until I read this thread, is
>> their a big difference in flavor or texture between canned butter beans,
>> and dry ones? I don't think I have ever had the dry ones.
>
> I've never had the canned ones. Dunno.
>
>> An example of the difference for me is that I don't use canned green
>> beans. Major taste and texture difference between the canned and the fresh
>> or frozen.
>
> Frozen limas are close to fresh limas and canned limas are ok enough but
> dried limas (aka butter beans) might as well be a different plant for all
> the taste difference.
>
>
Strange as it may seem the dried limas are my favorite, don't care for
the canned, frozen, or even fresh ones. Give me a big bowl of cooked
dried limas with sausage, onions, garlic, and seasonings, poured over a
good sized chunk of cornbread and I'm set.

George Shirley wrote:
> cshenk wrote:
>> "Bob Muncie" wrote
>>
>>> I'm just curious as I never thought about it until I read this
>>> thread, is their a big difference in flavor or texture between canned
>>> butter beans, and dry ones? I don't think I have ever had the dry ones.
>>
>> I've never had the canned ones. Dunno.
>>
>>> An example of the difference for me is that I don't use canned green
>>> beans. Major taste and texture difference between the canned and the
>>> fresh or frozen.
>>
>> Frozen limas are close to fresh limas and canned limas are ok enough
>> but dried limas (aka butter beans) might as well be a different plant
>> for all the taste difference.
>>
>>
> Strange as it may seem the dried limas are my favorite, don't care for
> the canned, frozen, or even fresh ones. Give me a big bowl of cooked
> dried limas with sausage, onions, garlic, and seasonings, poured over a
> good sized chunk of cornbread and I'm set.

Dang it! Here I was all set on the next course of action, and you had to
complicate it. Now I have to try both frozen and dry.

Thanks George,

Bob

"Kalmia" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
>
>
> I keep canned butter beans on hand for a real quick hummus.

I keep a few cans on hand. Maybe because we are Yankees, but dried or
canned is all you can find. Dried are great, but take some planning ahead.
Kuner makes a very good canned butter bean, that you can add what you have
for flavor. They work in a pinch.

Later,

DP