Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Butter Beans

Options
Carolina Q
Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
in EggHead Forum
I know it's weird, but I have always loved canned butter beans. Now that my doc has me on a low sodium diet, a standard can is over my limit, nearly 400 mg per serving! I just tried a recipe from a cookbook my niece gave me. I used frozen limas. They were good, but I like the canned ones better. Does anyone have a good recipe using frozen or dried limas? Merci!

I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Michael 
Central Connecticut 

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • RaleighGuy
    RaleighGuy Posts: 207
    Options
    Frozen will work, but you have to cook them to death. Bring to boil, and simmer with a good pat of butter in the water for 1.5 to 2 hours. If you are trying to limit sodium, season with a little sea salt after they are in your serving bowl.

    Eddie

    Raleigh, NC

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Acn
    Acn Posts: 4,424
    Options
    Do you cook in just water? Use a homemade chicken broth (so you can control sodium).

    LBGE

    Pikesville, MD

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,485
    Options
    Wait, butter beans and limas are two completely different legumes, aren't they?   :-/
    _____________

    "Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month  


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    Thanks guys, but I'm looking for a complete recipe. Ingredients and directions. Botch, butter beans are limas.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stv8r
    stv8r Posts: 1,127
    Options
    Not weird at all.  I love "Butter Beans" or soft cooked lima beans...whatever you want to call them.  Yumm!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,485
    edited September 2014
    Options
    I learned something tonight.
    First, I Googlez Imagez'd "butter beans", and the first page included photos of every bean I've ever seen, yay!
    Then, I typed it into wikipedia, and found this:
    n the United Kingdom and some areas in the American South, "butter beans" refers to either dried beans which can be purchased to rehydrate, or the canned variety which are ready to use. In culinary use there, lima beans and butter beans are distinct, the latter being large and yellow, the former small and green. In areas where both are considered to be lima beans, the green variety may be labelled as "baby" (and less commonly "junior") limas.
    And even that doesn't mesh with what I thought were butter beans, which were the largest beans I knew of, about the size of a quarter, and brown.  
    I don't know beans.  
    :\">
    _____________

    "Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month  


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dredger
    Dredger Posts: 1,468
    Options
    I have only seen butter beans, the large yellow variety, in dried bean form in South Carolina. If that is all you can find in your area, you can use a pressure cooker. You can use 2 cups of beans, 4 or 5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt, and 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Cook in pressure cooker for 40 minutes, or on the stove top in a regular stock pot for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. We froze 2 bushels of Christmas Lima's this summer, which are speckled butter beans and they're great. Frozen takes about 30 minutes to cook on the stove top. Each bean is about the size of a quarter.
    Large BGE
    Greenville, SC
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    Thanks, Dredger. I'll see if I can find the dried ones.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Acn
    Acn Posts: 4,424
    Options
    You can find dried ones here:  http://www.ranchogordo.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RG&Category_Code=DHAHB4

    They are pricy, but they are so much better than any bean I've ever gotten from a supermarket.

    LBGE

    Pikesville, MD

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    Acn said:
    You can find dried ones here:  http://www.ranchogordo.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RG&Category_Code=DHAHB4

    They are pricy, but they are so much better than any bean I've ever gotten from a supermarket.

    Thanks, but pricey is right! I can't see spending $18 for a pound of beans!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    Options
    Hmm.. I don't know a recipe, but my mom always soaked the beans overnight, and then started cooking the next day.  However, she used fat back/side meat/ham bone to season (and s&p of course), and that just does not gel with your diet.  
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
    Facebook
    My Photography Site
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    Matthew, very true! I haven't had a single slice of ham in over a year! And I LOVE ham!! I suppose I could sneak in a 3-4 oz serving once in a while and blow half a day's sodium max, but so far I haven't. Sure would love a ham omelet though! Or a sandwich. Or...........

    However, my mom cooks up a mean pot of green beans. Beans, water, a little salt and bacon grease. On my last visit, she cooked some using canola instead of bacon grease... Just for me. :) They were delicious! Maybe I'll try that with the butter beans.

    Just found a bag of large dried limas (the cream colored ones) in my pantry. Had forgotten I had them. I think they cost about a buck. :) gonna soak em overnight and try again tomorrow.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    Options
    @Carolina Q, could you possibly use some low sodium bacon?  It sure is hard to get great flavor without some type of pig meat or fat.  

    I was telling the wife we have not had country ham lately.  Will likely pick up some for Sunday breakfast.  

    Now, you could have city ham more than likely, country ham you would meet your sodium intake for months with one serving.  Lol...
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
    Facebook
    My Photography Site
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited September 2014
    Options
    Mom's green beans were quite good with just canola so I will try that with the butter beans. I haven't had bacon in over a year either. Funny thing is, I MISS ham... bacon, not at all. I'm not really supposed to eat much pork anyway.

    I did cook a butt the other day though. Don't do it but once or twice a year. I'm managing without ham and bacon, but I draw the line at barbecue! :) Tried the Skylight Inn method (sorta). A little salt, some pepper (no other seasonings) and white oak for smoke wood. Scrounged the oak from deadfall at moms. Wound up with nearly 40 lbs of it! Anyway, the que was different than my usual rub mix and hickory smoke. Quite good, but different. Not sure which I prefer.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    Cooked some more butter beans today. Awesome!!!

    1 lb dried large limas (the cream colored ones, not green) 8 cups water (added another cup after an hour) 1 tbls evoo 1 teaspoon salt

    Cooked at a low boil for about 2 1/2 hours. Didn't think it would take that long, but I cooked until they were all tender.

    Would have benefitted from more salt and bacon grease in place of evoo... but I wouldn't have. Still quite tasty! And they looked just like the canned beans, which is what I was going for. Too bad about the salt and sat fat, but I'm learning to deal with it.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dredger
    Dredger Posts: 1,468
    Options
    Carolina Q, we use Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt in just about everything. It has salt, herbs, spices, dehydrated onion, and dehydrated garlic. 1/4 tsp. has 220mg of sodium vs 500mg plus for regular table salt depending upon the brand you use. Most grocery stores in our area carry it, but you can also find it on Amazon if your store doesn't have it. We use it in all of our dried beans and it adds a lot of flavor.
    Large BGE
    Greenville, SC
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    Thanks, I'll check it out. You might also try Kirkland's Organic No Salt Seasoning. Contains a LONG list of herbs and spices and no salt at all. Pretty tasty. Available at Costco, not sure where else.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dredger
    Dredger Posts: 1,468
    Options
    Will do. Kirkland's Organic beef and chicken stock are very good. I see a Costco trip in our future. I just checked and Amazon has it for $14.54 for a 14.5 oz jar and it's Prime, so no shipping. Any idea how that price stands up to the Costco in store price?
    Large BGE
    Greenville, SC
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    Not a clue. Mine was given to me. Never set foot in a Costco.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Blewis212
    Blewis212 Posts: 26
    Options
    My wife uses two different products. The first is Herb Ox. Make sure it is the sodium free one. The second is found in the "Mexican" food section and is called Goya Soya w saffron. It's low sodium. 150. The herb Ox is 0
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    Thanks! Never heard of the Goya thing and didn't know Herb Ox had a sodium free product. Will take a look.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories