These Creamy Southern Lima Beans Are a Standout Side Dish (2024)

FAQs

What are lima beans called in the South? ›

Two types of lima beans, called butter beans in the South, are grown in home gardens. Most of the more northerly parts of the United States, including the northern New England States and the northern parts of other States along the Canadian border, are not adapted to the culture of lima beans.

Soaking the lima beans before cooking can help by decreasing the cooking time and making them easier to digest.

A lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), also commonly known as butter bean, sieva bean, double bean or Madagascar bean, is a legume grown for its edible seeds or beans.

Well, rest assured; the two are actually one in the same. There's no difference between lima beans and butter beans, though sometimes they're sold at different stages of maturity. As a matter of fact, our Large Lima Beans packaging actually states Butter Beans in parentheses, just to clarify.

Some people may find that eating lima beans gives them gas and makes them feel bloated. This is because of their high fiber content. They also contain a particular type of fiber that, although helpful for gut health, is tough for your digestive system to break down. You can cut down on the gas by cooking them well.

Lima beans are a type of legume with a mild, creamy flavor that works well in a variety of dishes. They contain several important nutrients and may help increase weight loss, stabilize blood sugar levels, and promote heart health.

Cooking dried lima beans is simple. For a fast cooking time, just soak them in water overnight, drain and cover with fresh water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for an hour and then use the beans however you'd like!

Soaking overnight and then discarding the soaking water leaches out sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production. I get less gas.

Learn why straining and rinsing your beans is an important step—plus other ways to make the most of your legumes. Katlyn Moncada is the associate food editor at BHG.com, sharing food news and tutorials on becoming better home cooks.

Other than what they're called and sometimes their color, butter beans and lima beans are exactly the same.

Is lima bean a vegetable or legume? ›

Lima beans are a vegetable that is part of the legume family. The proper name for the lima bean plant is “lunatus” which means “half-moon” and refers to the shape of the bean. The small white seeds are the legumes, and the green shell is the pod.

Expert Response. You should not eat limas if they are bitter because they are probably high in cyanogenic glucosides. Normally this is only a problem in wild limas, but can occur in cultivated varieties even though lima bean breeders do have to measure cyanide content before they release a new variety.

Alicia Whidden, a fruit and vegetable horticultural agent in Hillsborough County, was out of the office but responded with a helpful note: “Both beans are the same species but lima beans are green and butter beans are traditionally speckled at least until cooked.”

Desi Val, also known as butter beans are popular legumes that are known for their mild buttery flavor and meaty texture. They are known by several regional names, for instance Lima beans in Hindi are called 'Sem Phali' and Lima Beans in Tamil are called 'Mochai'.

A favorite in the American South, limas are actually named after the capital of Peru, and they have more nicknames than any other bean: butter bean, Rangoon bean, Burma bean, Madagascar bean, and chad bean.

The species Phaseolus vulgaris L. has several names in Spanish-speaking countries: frijol, fríjol, frisol, fréjol, frejol, poroto, habichuela, habilla, caraota, judía, alubia, and chuwi. The most widespread term is "frijol", which is used from Mexico to Panama, in Cuba, and in part of Peru.

“Green beans” is the generic term for a dizzying number of different legumes. There are more than 130 varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris literally translated as “common bean.” The green beans of the South are mostly string snap or pole beans.

The lima bean receives several denominations in Spanish, the two most frequent are judía de lima (pronounced hoo-DEE-ah day LEE-mah) or haba de lima (pronounced AH-bah day LEE-mah). In plural judías de lima or habas de lima. In these two expressions we have a generic word that is judía or haba, both mean bean.