Ingredients 1 (16-oz.) Ive never tried making large limas and ham myself, but today its cool and rainy and I have a hankering. I really enjoy making all these recipes. Thanks for sharing, Lisa!! This is how Mom made them. Great recipe! Thanks for including your bits and tips of information, just love sharing. Cover, lock and seal lid. Hello Stacey how can I make this soup using canned beans? Once she said the tomato sauce was just tomato soup! Yep, modern science and testing have revealed that soaking beans really doesnt do much other than cut down on the cook time (which isnt a huge difference anyway). Omy goodness Jacqui! I cited a few sources as well. Reheat the stock before continuing with recipe.). Add the beans and cover with water. My dad made this all the time when I was growing up. (It would have been about 1/2 of the bean volume! She calls what is used to simmer with the beans streak o lean. Its also called fatback or salt pork. Start with low to medium heat if using the stovetop. They were awesome. Its the way mom made them and after a few tests, the trick to getting them that way is super simple. Talk about a versatile recipe! My favorite meal growing up, butter beans, fried chicken and my mamas biscuits. You are so right about the stirring. Grandma never measured a thing, she earned from her mom, she never learned to read either. Love your site and your stories! I am going to try this. I totally agree! Ive certainly heard of folks doing that. Was always wondering if beans could be frozen after cooking. My granny from Alabama made butter bean dumplings. Directions Cook bacon and onion in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes. Just stir them, how easy is that! If so do you know what the time adjustments would be? they are called butter beans after all. Beans can be soaked, skip the first 5 steps. Now these down here below were stirred quite a bit more. Grab some coffee or tea and stay awhile. Heat a Dutch oven or a heavy pot with a medium heat and add the bacon. I cooked big lima beans yesterday and they looked just like your last pan shown. After soaking beans I forgot how long to cook, thank you. Comfort food from my childhood and Im 85. Thanks for sharing. Then stir in heavy cream and butter into bean mixture until thickened, about 15 minutes more. She used chopped ham steak and a little onion. Sounds like a solid meal to me. Blogging about recipes and linking to the complete recipe on SouthernPlate.com is welcome and appreciated! It's not enough to make it hot, just adds a little spice and flavor. Heres our. Preheat the oven at 400F. Add oil and heat until hot. Add brown sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. I'm an RN so I tend to go overboard with food safety tips! Bring to a slow boil and reduce the heat to simmer. The thick broth mixes with the rice to make a stew. Add remaining ingredients and stir. I use this for a lot of things in the crockpot . The tender but meaty beans combine with the smoky ham flavor to create an unbeatable comfort meal. My mom taught me to cook dried limas and I soak them because of tradition. After the beans have sat, drain the water and put the beans to the side. I give you some more ideas down below. This might be helpful: https://bakemesomesugar.com/instant-pot-butter-beans/. Cant wait till dinner time! Now for me, these large dried limas should be swimming in a thick, rich broth thats super creamy. Its probably not right but I also add diced carrots and celery in the last hour, its just the way I like them. I always make a large bag at one time. I was well pleased with the outcome. Just like my mom and grandma make/made them! I start with a base of canned or homemade chicken Stock, add ham hock or bone, smoked bacon, chopped onion, minced garlic, dried herbs (like thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, marjoram), and pepper. I made a huge batch and froze the rest and its just as good reheated, maybe better. Add the onion and seasoning and bring to a boil. Did she use raw chicken wings? Saute' onions for about 3 minutes until they are soft and translucent. In addition, I had to drain 4 cups of liquid from the finished dish. And I am betting they taste so much better than canned. We dish them up in boy-snack sized portions to tide people over from football practice to suppertime. I finally had to learn to make these after having them in a soul food restaurant in Amarillo. Add to the baking dish and spread to the edges of the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour or until tender, but not falling apart. FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SHARE THIS RECIPE, SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS AND NEVER MISS AN UPDATE, Filed Under: Beginner Recipes, Comfort Foods, Main Dish, Recipe, Side Dishes, Southern Recipes, Top Recipes. Less water if soaked overnight? Either way, the first step is to wash the beans, and then put them in a large pot. My mother passed away a week ago and this was one of my favorite dishes she made. Bring to a boil; stir, reduce heat, and cover and simmer the butter beans and ham for about 2 hours. You dont need more than a tablespoon or two per pound of beans being cooked. Hope this helps someone. I will tell you though if you dont add it you are going to need to add some oil to make your beans creamier. M grandma grew speckled butterbeans in her garden. Unfortunately, Ive not tried freezing them, so I cant say for sure. Thank you! The beans can be old. Dont add water just yet. Read more. Stacey, this recipe does not call for soaking the beans overnight. I have always bought them in a can but tonight thy are soaking all night. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. I have pintos in my pantry and keep putting off cooking them because I forget to soak them. Yes, I think Id saut them to start, then add the water and ham hock. Do you have any idea how to cook them in pressure cooker /air fryer? @Patty I live here in Perris,CA I will send you 2-3 bags of the butter beans if you really need them, no problem, no charge I love to eat too send PO BOX # and they are there!! Cover with water and soak overnight. Also, leaving out the ham and salt until the beans are tender makes for a much creamier texture. Add the oil to the pot and saut the ham hocks and onions together, until the onion is clear and tender. Im so glad to hear you enjoyed this one, Kevin! I think you can certainly add some butter if you wish. Will be looking forward to that Instant Pot Lima Bean Recipe! Remove the ham hock and pull any meat off; return meat to pot and discard bone. 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 theres no scientific evidence of that being true. It was a typical family dinner at my in-laws house. Set aside. While they might not look as pretty, theyre perfectly fine. If Yall dont like ginger to help eliminate the after effects of enjoying a bowl of beans for supper , you can add a splash of 7-up Soda to the pot of beans while cooking. Third, it tastes delicious and I know your family will love it as much as mine. Kindness is required. IN THE NETHERLANDS.THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR WE LIVED ON 400 CALORIES PER DAY. I call them white limas and green limas I grew up all over the south Thanks for all the post I enjoyed reading all I did soak mine for a few hours today but probably never will again LOL- Usually add a ham hock but do not have one today so adding leftover frozen ham and jalapeo sausage link-should be ok!! My mom also taught me to soak overnight or quick soak if necessary. I find that soaking these beans overnight makes them fall apart more. Broccolini With Butter Beans. And reducing cooking time is not an inconsequential benefit. I grew up on Louisiana cooking and have never heard of that. Ive loved lima beans since I was a kid and my mom never understood it. You wont need to add any cream to any recipe for creamy beans with this one tip. I tried that but the honey baked makes it too sweet. bag of regular lima beans or baby lima beans/butter beans, ham hocks or 1 leftover ham bone, with some meat still on it. Add a large can of diced tomatoes and half can of water. This helps give them the thick, creamy liquid. They are perfect exactly as written. I cook mine in chicken stock with a tablespoon of Crisco, tablespoon of bacon grease, garlic powder & onion powder. However, it also makes a great side dish and tastes just as good served with a slice of hot cornbread or crusty bread to soak up that irresistible gravy. It was the best pot of beans I have made in years! Ive done them in the Instant Pot with a ham bone and they were awesome! Thanks for sharing! Im Beth and this is where my foodie friends and family find my latest kitchen creations. Cover the beans with about a half-inch of water. Maybe someone else will chime in and help us out! My mom uses the instant pot to cook lima beans all the time but I have never done this. So bought them and they were everything she said. WOW smoked turkey wings..this is getting better and better! Sounds great and Im always a fan of adding more flavor when you can! Yours look amazing! I threw my bag away and could not remember. One thing was new to me and it was butter beans. The recipe came from my mother-in-law. Not only is it vegan-friendly, but it's also low-carb and gluten-free, making it perfect for people with all types of dietary restrictions. Get new Southern Bite recipes delivered right to your inbox. Have a super day. Cook until beans are tender, more salt here is optional. Your email address will not be published. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cornbread with Lima Beans is a must!! Reading this makes me realize I probably need to cool that liquid before adding the beans. Looking for a recipe on that one too. Should be interesting!!!! As a child growing up, we had these dried large beans and a thick liquid with them. That is what is so interesting about your website..the bloggers post wonderful life time stories! Thank you so much!! I have never made (or even ate) homemade butter beans before, but yours look a lot like the ones we used to buy years ago in a can. This is the 1st time this has happened. A guy from New Orleans once gave me his secret to creamy beans. And Im not alone. Butter beans in the south are made so many ways and every family has its own version. Hi Abby! https://youtu.be/tZnczHVlv_Q. Hers are always delicious! Continue to simmer, adding more water as needed, until beans are soft, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I talk about it above in the post. ), Ill fall short of saying shes wrong, but I will say that we now know better. package frozen baby lima beans for butterbeans. In my mind, lima beans are the small lima beans and butter beans are the big lima beans. One of my favorite meals is butterbeans and cornbread! A lot of Southerners also add a bay leaf while their beans are simmering. You must be from Southeast Texas thats exactly how I fix those beans that I learned from my mom and my grandma D licious pinto beans fix that Way too are really really good and I do put catchup on them LOL. Yes. Im just not sure of a sure-fire way to eliminate it. Please take a few moments to browse around you never know what you may find! Otherwise this is my go-to comfort food. My granddaddy called them Johnson ears, as in President Lyndon Johnson who had quite large ears. If desired, remove the hock, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Ill have to drain them. Just wondering. Enjoy! Nutritional values provided are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. My only additions are onions and bay leaves. I love visitors! Drain the liquid and add the . Lots of butter, cream, and bacon make these beans true Southern comfort food. Thank you for your wonderful recipes. https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/soaking-salting-dried-bean-myths-article Thanks for all your wonderful recipes, each one is like a warm hug. 1 lb bag of regular lima beans or baby lima beans/butter beans. These Southern-style butterbeans are flavored wtih bacon, brown sugar,and onion and offer the convenience of frozen butterbeans. Ive heard of serving them with ketchup, but Im not sure Ive heard of jelly. Feeding people makes me happy. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the butterbeans are very tender, about 30 minutes. If needed, add hot water to the beans to keep them covered as to not drop the temperature as they cook. Heres what I know for sure Call them whatever you will. I have them with corn muffins and fruit for lunch . Ive heard of putting molasses in beans like this that are baked, but cant say that I remember hearing of folks putting it in ones made like this. Next time I will reduce the water to 4.5 cups instead of 9. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir bacon in the hot skillet until crisp, about 5 minutes. I love hearing from y'all! Cook bacon and onion in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes. Two main dishes were not uncommon. Lets jump in. I like to add a bag of frozen vegetables at the end. I have a friend who uses the dripping from honey baked ham for limas, great northern and navy beans. Rinse the beans and check for any foreign particles. Maybe my imagination but it seems to reduce the gas the beans can cause. If you are in a hurry, most bags of beans have a "speed-soak" method listed on the package. Another option is finely chopped shallots instead of garlic cloves too. Glad they turned out great for you! However Im using chicken stock instead of water and will watch my salt. Keep checking the water level and stirring every once in a while. Recipe for 3 Bean Salad (one of my personal favorites). Add brown sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. A homemade hot biscuit makes this a full and hearty meal. Soaking beans gets rid of many of those complex carbohydrates. ), Absolutely! Take out and put in saucepan and add a little water. Was I supposed to cull through them and remove them before cooking? Drain and return lima beans to the pot; cover beans with fresh water. Oh well. Soaking and rinsing greatly reduce harmful lignins. I am allergic to ginger so no on that but i thought it was baking soda. Thanks for visiting Pear Tree Kitchen! I forgot to take a photo, we devoured the dish immediately. Your mother was right. The main course could be fried chicken, meatloaf, or even a pot roast. Butter in lima beans. Thanks, Brandy! Cover with water and soak overnight. Just happen to have a big ol bag of lima beans sitting on my kitchen counter. This recipe for butter beans is an old-fashioned Southern favorite. She added a small diced onion to the banking dish. It means checking them about every 20 minutes and adding a little water if needed. Cook the water down so the broth was kind of thick. In fact, you should probably just look for large dried lima beans at your local grocer. Its delicious and much better than the canned! Bake for 30 minutes. Lots of folks like that, others, not so much. Thanks for sharing, I did not know stirring would thicken the juice. Stir in butterbeans and butter until butter is melted and beans are thoroughly coated.