The recipe for these Southern Lima Beans (also known as butter beans or dried limas) is simple, easy, and only calls for a handful of ingredients. The super rich, creamy broth and smoky flavor is what sets them apart. I’m even showing you how to make them in the slow cooker!
Butter beans, lima beans, dried lima beans, large limas, pocketbook beans, mule ears, the list goes on and on. These delicious dried beans go by a host of different names. The truth is, they’re lima beans. Whether they’re green, speckled, white, cream colored, dried or fresh – they’re all varieties of lima beans.
Now, I’ll admit I grew up calling these large limas or dried limas and called their smaller green to cream colored fresh counter parts butter beans (like these). And I’m not alone. I surveyed y’all on Facebook and saw that quite a few follow my naming nomenclature, while others were the opposite. Many of you call these large dried beans butter beans. And with more than 1,000 replies at last check, y’all are pretty passionate about what you call ’em.
Here’s what I know for sure… Call them whatever you will. Just don’t call me late to supper when these babies are on the menu.
My recipe for cooking them is simple, straightforward, and only calls for a handful of ingredients, but it’s the method that really matters. Let’s jump in…
How to make Southern Lima Beans
Now, my mom taught me that with all dried beans, they need to be soaked before cooking – whether using the overnight or the quick soak method. Now, since I know she’s reading this (Hi, Mom!), I’ll fall short of saying she’s wrong, but I will say that we now know better. Yep, modern science and testing have revealed that soaking beans really doesn’t do much other than cut down on the cook time (which isn’t a huge difference anyway).
Since it’s how I learned to cook, I’m a strong proponent of the philosophy that the way your mom or grandma did it is the right way. So if you want to soak your beans, by gosh you need to soak those beans. But the truth is that if you don’t have time to soak, (or just don’t want to) you’re going to come out with some super delicious beans either way.
How do I make thick and creamy beans?
Now for me, these large dried limas should be swimming in a thick, rich broth that’s super creamy. It’s the way mom made them and after a few tests, the trick to getting them that way is super simple. You have to stir them.
You see those beans right above here? Those beans were cooked using the exact same method and ingredients, but I only stirred them twice. The result is mainly whole beans and a relatively thin, clear broth.
Now these down here below were stirred quite a bit more. The stirring broke some of the beans up and the starch from those beans thickened the broth and made for a hearty, thick sauce to coat the beans. This is how Mom made them.
Either way is delicious, it’s just all in how you like them.
Now while some recipes calls for onion, garlic, even carrots, Mom made her beans with just water, smoked meat, salt, and pepper. 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 there’s no scientific evidence of that being true.
Outside of the beans themselves, most of the flavor comes from the salt and the smoked meat. I keep ham hocks frozen for this because I think they add the most flavor to dishes like this, but a ham bone, smoked turkey wings, smoked pork neck bones, or even smoked sausage can be used to get that smoky flavor.
Regardless of what you call them and whether you stir them or not, these beans are a hearty, delicious side (or even main dish) that’s perfect alongside some piping hot cornbread. In my family, beans like this have always been served with some raw onion. I’ve heard others say they add mayonnaise or even ketchup to them. No matter what goes with them, I know you’re going to love them! Y’all enjoy!
Recipe Card
Southern Lima Beans (Butter Beans)
Ingredients
- 1 pound large dried lima beans
- 1 large smoked ham hock*
- 9 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and check for any foreign particles.
- Add the beans to a large pot or dutch oven. Add the ham hock, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil, and cook for about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover tightly and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the beans are tender to your liking. Add water to keep the beans just covered. Stir less frequently to allow the beans to stay intact, or stir more often to create a thick, rich broth. Be sure to see the blog post for details. Add the pepper and additional salt to taste. If desired, remove the hock, shred the meat, and return it to the pot.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Place beans, water, ham hock, salt and pepper in a 6 quart slow cooker and cover. Cook on high for 5 hours (or low for 7 to 8 hours) or until the beans are tender to your liking. Stir well and adjust seasoning to your taste. If needed, add hot water to the beans to keep them covered as to not drop the temperature as they cook. If desired, remove the hock, shred the meat, and return it to the slow cooker.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Mary Carmichael
Even though I think the high and low button on my crockpot are reversed and my beans were a little mushy, They were out of this world good! I could not stop eating them. I ate them until my stomach hurt, that’s how good they were. I saw a review that someone said theirs came out bitter… I followed the recipe exactly and they were incredible. I will save this recipe so I can make them again and again.
Lane Edwards
How do they get “creamy” – is a bunch of starch released from the beans to thicken the liquid???
That released starch helps, but stirring them breaks them up and that does a great job of making them thick and creamy.
Jill
Your Lima beans look delicious, can’t wait to try them. Happy Father’s Day.
Thanks so much, Jill!
Geoffrey Bove
I think this recipe is perfect. These beans taste great so why mess them up! I do suggest that for vegans (are there any here?), you can use olive oil. I have some cooking right now with a mix of olive oil and butter, since I did not have a hock. STIR BABY STIR! But no TOO much. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Geoffrey!
Judy L. Johnson
That’s the way my mom made them. She also brought them to a boil and drained them and filled the pot up and cooked them
So good!
Shelli odom french
This is how I make mine too, although I use Pacific Chicken Stock, some dried onion seasoning and garlic seasoning. Salt & Pepper. I buy the ham shanks it’s so much easier than the hocks. Secret is stirring and using a metal spatula to mash some against the sides of the pot!
Thanks for sharing your method! I love the tip about mashing some against the pot—definitely a great way to enhance the texture.
Vickie
Perfect recipe. Came out perfect first time. Cooking again today!! Thank you
I’m so glad to hear that!
Janice
Thank you for adding the slow cooker recipe as an option. I am going to make Lima Beans and ham hocks for this coming Easter Sunday dinner. I like that your recipe is simple, without the onions, garlic, celery, Cajun seasonings, etc. Thanks to your mom.
Thanks, Janice! Hope it turned out great for you!
Jacklyn Hogan
I made the beans. They turned out so good! I did soak the beans for an hour before cooking and I did add some baked garlic to the mix but thats all, well some cubed smoked ham to sweeten the pot. Soooo good!
I’m so glad to hear that the beans turned out great for you!
Arnisey Montgomery
I do the overnight crock pot ones. I made them last night & can’t wait to taste them today.
Hope they turned out great for you!
Sandy
I followed Southern Lima Beans (Butter Beans) exactly. They are bitter. I would appreciate knowing why or what else to do. Any help would be appreciated.
What brand of beans did you use?
Karla Thompson
Butter beans have always been my favorite meal. My mom made the the same way your mom and grandma did. I never could make them come out thick and luscious, but stirring the frequently makes sense.
I have a pot on right now and I so excited for dinner time to come I plan on making fried potatoes and cornbread. That’s how my mom would serve it and frankly I need to feel that comforting hug it gives.
I love hearing about the memories tied to butter beans! Stirring them frequently really does make a difference in getting that thick, luscious texture. Your dinner sounds absolutely perfect—fried potatoes and cornbread are such a comforting combo. I hope it turns out just like your mom’s and brings back all those warm, cozy feelings!
Brenda from NJ
I fondly remember my childhood and eating my grandmother’s ham & lima beans😋 mine have never turned out like her’s. Mine comes out more like soup instead of creamy and just doesn’t taste the same. Thanks for the tip about stirring. I’ve got 3lbs of baby lima beans & ham cooking at this very minute (sharing with my daughter and her family, 9 of us all together) and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. My mouth is watering just thinking about it and I’m feeling a bit nostalgic too. I fried up a lb of bacon and added to the pot as well❤️ Thank you.
What a sweet memory to share! I love hearing how recipes like this can bring back so much nostalgia. Adding bacon sounds like an amazing touch, and I bet it will make the dish even more flavorful. I hope the stirring tip helps get you closer to your grandmother’s creamy version. Enjoy sharing this meal with your family—it sounds like a perfect comfort food moment.
Penny Lozon
Your recipe doesn’t caII for soaking them and I’m wondering if there’s any difference in the amount of Iiquid you use to cook them in when presoaking or what the time difference wouId be. Thanks much.
Beans that have been soaked absorb less water so you’d need less water when cooking them. I’ve only tested them this way, though, so I don’t have a measurement for how much less to use.
James Zemboy
A neighbor just gave me 2 one-pound bags of dry baby Limas. Is there any reason why I can’t use those instead of the large dry limas? Recipe looks fine. I use ham hocks all the time to make pea soup, so I’ll be using one of those with a pound of baby Limas.
No reason at all—you can absolutely use baby limas instead of large ones! They’ll cook up just as creamy and delicious, and the ham hock will add all that smoky goodness. Sounds like a winning combination to me—enjoy!
James Zemboy
Thanks for your reply. I’ll be cooking up a batch of baby Limas per your recipe as soon as I can get to the store for a couple of ham hocks.
We northerners (I’m a Michigander) often ignore southern cooking, but I don’t. Only one time in my whole 81-year life did I EVER hear “spoon bread” being mentioned. .” It was in a movie–that science fiction classic about “the body snatchers!” A minor character invited somebody for supper, and her incentive was “I’m making spoon bread.” I wondered what “spoon bread” could possibly be; it was never mentioned in any of my standard cookbooks. One day I saw a recipe for it in a 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook, so I made a batch just to see what it was like. I thought it was delish so I sprung it on my grandkids as part of on of our weekly suppers together. Even the kids liked it. One day soon I’m going to make a “southern supper” for us. Ham steaks with a spiced pineapple sauce, a “sweet potato praline” dish containing pecans, your Lima bean dish, spoon bread instead of my usual homemade biscuits–and peach cobbler for dessert.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad you’re giving the baby limas a try.
Your southern supper menu sounds absolutely incredible! Spoon bread is such a treat, isn’t it? I love that you introduced it to your grandkids and that they enjoyed it—it’s the kind of dish that sticks in your memory. And that peach cobbler to round things out? Perfection!
I hope your southern supper is a big hit. It sounds like you’re bringing a little taste of the South to Michigan, and I couldn’t love that more. Let me know how it all turns out!
Sarah
Can anyone advise as to why this came out bitter? I made as directed using a ham bone. I used chicken broth instead of water. The ham I shredded off the bone is delicious but the beans and broth are terribly bitter.
How long did you cook them?
Michelle Joseph
We were looking to buy some for this recipe. While checking for sources this one set of reviews stood out. Walmart’s reviews were consistent: “not fit to eat”. The reason posted? A product that was not dried properly, resulting in “mildew’ [Black spots and bitter taste. Michelle and David
Heather M
I’m so glad I found you! I was craving the ham and beans my mom used to make (never got around to asking her how she made them), and only found a lot of “soup” recipes-I knew hers weren’t too complicated, and this recipe is it! It’s exactly how I remember. We also used to call them butter beans, I spent quite a few minutes at the store looking for them before settling on the large lima beans!!
I’m so glad this recipe brought back those memories for you! Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones that stick with us the most. And yes, butter beans and large lima beans can definitely cause some grocery store confusion—they’re one and the same! Thanks for sharing your story!
Tim
Most everyone in my neck of the woods flavors them with fatback, that makes them taste the best in my opinion, already has the salt. I’ve had them with ham hock and they are good that way too.
Fatback works perfect in this recipe.
Cammy
Love butter beans. I make them the same way as you.
Thanks, Cammy!
Colbi
I’m making this southern dish for my book club that just read a southern book. Do you cut up the ham hock and serve with the beans or just use it to flavor the beans?
You can’t really cut it up, but you can shred some of the eat off it once it’s cooked. Either way, it’s totally up to you.
Ann Tye
Cooked a huge pot of beans when it was quite cold. I’m a transplant from NW Florida to Oregon. Some of my southern taste are spreading around here!! 😋 They like things like lima beans now!
Love that you’re sharing a little Southern flavor up in Oregon! Nothing like a big pot of beans to warm you up on a cold day. Glad you’re spreading the lima bean love!
Robert Paulson
I am cooking this recipe but I am using double the amount of beans. I do not need double the amount of water do I?
Maybe about 1.5 times the amount. You can always watch them and add a little more, if needed. Hope you enjoy!
Larry Pearson
My preferred meat with lima beans is bacon. I can’t tolerate cured ham, probably because of the chemicals used in the curing process. I also use chicken broth instead of water.
Bacon works great here.
Angela G Tanner
Very good! Just like Mother used to cook them. ADD A PAN OF CORNBREAD AND YOU GOT A MEAL!!!
So good!
Linda
Can I use fat back
I don’t see why not.
Robin
Excellent! Just the way my grandma made them in Georgia (and her ancestors as well). Yes, we called the larger, cream-colored Limas “Butter Beans”. Yummy recipe; of course, all your recipes are YUMMY!
Thanks, Robin!
Sha
My dad was from NC so seasoning meat was country ham-salt brined. I get mine on line in manageable packages. I just made a pot but put shaped pasta in the Lima bean broth. Made a basic vegetarian meal(s).
Sounds great!!
Melody Wright
I’m a “young” 70 year old woman. All my life I’ve told people if I was on death row my last meal would be butter beans, cornbread, raw onion, and sliced tomatoes. And of course sweetened ice tea. I LOVE butter beans. But they better have thick juice or I’ll pitch a hissy fit. (That’s my Southern heritage coming through). I have had in my life time about 2 pots where the juice wouldn’t thicken. Add a little vegetable oil. It will do the trick. I’ve told others about that and it worked for them. Loved reading this article. And will keep your recipe, just because!! Have a good day.
Thanks, Melody! I’ve never heard that about the vegetable oil, but I’ll keep that in mind!
Reno
I love the thick “gravey” as well.
I start a half pound of lima’s first.
Then add a pound later.
When done I have whole beans with the thickness of the 1st beans turned to “gravy…
ENJOY
Joe Castillo
Excellent. Thanks for posting. I went with slow cooker. Lima beans, ham hocks, and water. Nothing else required. Loud claps of thunder throughout the night. Not a creature was stirring.
I’m not sure if I should say thanks or just lol. 🙂
GEORGE HARGRAVE
I did it the old-fashioned way: I stocked the beans for 24 hours. Then, in a large pot, I fried 1/2 lp of bacon; afterward, I added two ham shanks and a large chopped onion and cooked on low for 4 hours. Removed the meat from the ham shanks, added the beans to the pot, added a stick of butter, and covered it with chicken broth. Finally slow-cooked for 1 1/2 hours. That’s how it’s done in Mississippi. It makes you hug your mom.
Robin
That sounds mighty tasty, Mississippi! I think I’ll try your idea next, if your meemaw don’t mind?! (assuming you inherited the idea through her lineage).
Pat
Do you brown the sausage before adding to the beans?
If you opt to use smoked sausage in the recipe in stead of the ham hock, you can brown it before adding it, but that’s optional. It will work just fine even if you don’t.
Vicky Swanson
This is absolutely delish! I made this on the stovetop, using half of a bone in ham steak. I may have to use smoked sausage next time. I chose to soak my beans. Thanks for a yummy recipe, Stacey!
You’re so welcome!
carol surles
I have no doubt that this tastes delightful, but it is laden with saturated fat and cholesterol. I am hoping to devise a tasty recipe reminiscent of this Southern delight that I enjoyed your way during my childhood. I will try making it with uncured turkey bacon, olive oil, a little grassfed butter, perhaps some Beyond Meat Italian sausage browned and sliced, and steamed okra on top of the beans or cooked separately. We always had okra with our large white lima beans. I will add a bit of maple syrup along with my sea salt, black pepper, and fresh onion, and I might try a small bay leaf. A side of steamed organic white rice pilaf flavored with chopped green onions and red papper should make up for some of the lost flavor since I no longer eat pork. I will just ladle the beans over the seasoned rice.
Thanks for getting me started.
T TURNER
When a seed sprouts, the nutrition increases as much as 10 fold. (I have read) So, soaking butter beans (which is a seed) has a great benefit. My mother’s butter beans, many of which, were sprouted.
I didn’t realize that soaking them would allow them start sprouting this quickly?
wilson todd
i was rise on them went we no way of getting funds to eat beans is what we went to eat it keeps you going went you have hrad times
Bob White
One of the many poor man dollar meals lots of people are fixing their family today for sure. Thanks from southeast Georgia “The Old man in the Barn “
Suzette Van Aken
Sometimes, you need a simple, uncomplicated recipe. This was exactly that. I used smoked turkey wings. I slow cooked them in a mini crockpot while the beans soaked overnight. I shredded the meat, cooked the beans in the meat broth and only seasoned them with pepper as no salt was needed. Excellent dinner with hot water corn bread. That’s it and that’s all that was needed.
Sounds great! Glad I could help and so happy to hear you enjoyed them!
Sharonfabregas
Help, my large Lima are bitter. Can you help?
Hi Sharon! Often times varying brands and varieties can produce a bitter taste. My mother has been cooking beans her whole life and sometimes ends up with bitter beans. While there’s no sure fire way to prevent it, some say adding a pinch of sugar helps. I’ve also heard that adding a pinch of baking soda can help. There are others who swear that soaking the beans prevents the bitterness, but I’ve not found that to be true at all. There are times that even with the soaking, they still end up bitter.
Linda Goates
I’m 75 years old and been cooking since I was about 10 years old. I love butter beans. I fix them just like you & your mom. For the first time in my life, I cooked some and they were so bitter I could not eat them. Threw them out. 😭😭😭😭
Cynthia Van Horn Baker
Great recipe! Reminds me of my mom’s butter beans. I made them in the slow cooker and they are amazing. Thank you Stacey; now if I can just perfect a cornbread recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! Might I suggest: Elmer’s Cornbread
Charleen
When you make In slow cooker yoy do not need to soak prior?
Carissa
Great base recipe. Only made half pound. Adjusted for plant based. Used baby lima beans. Sautéed carrot, onion and garlic in non dairy butter first. Added bay leaf and smoked paprika along with salt/ pepper. Let cook through for about a minute before adding beans, two teaspoons of Vegetable Better Than Bouillon and 4 cups water. Absolutely delightful.
Glad you were able to adjust this one to meet your needs, Carissa!
Annette Griep
It was like being in my grammies kitchen again. Delicious
Aww! So sweet! Thank you, Annette!
Rebecca
Maybe it’s because I’m southern, and we like to clog our arteries…but I was taught by my mom to put A LOT of butter in with my butter beans!!! lol!! That and bacon! I won’t knock this recipe though, because I haven’t tried it. I still like the butter with them. 😁
Thanks, Rebecca! Add all the butter you want, friend!
Bob Zambarano
Great recipe. I used a smoked turkey leg and added onions and garlic. I did soak the beans first, so I just added enough water to cover them while cooking, and even left the cover off the pot the last 20 mintutes or so to reduce the liquid.
Soaking beans doesn’t just cut down cooking time, it also reduces the “after effects”:
https://beaninstitute.com/two-ways-to-soak-beans-to-reduce-gas/#:~:text=Soaking%20overnight%20and%20then%20discarding,each%20cup%20of%20dried%20beans.
Glad you enjoyed it! There are tons of articles out there both for and against the soak. I say, do what works best for you. 🙂
https://www.seriouseats.com/bean-science-how-to-reduce-gas-tested-6755268
Shauna
I happened to make this recipe yesterday (so YUMMY, they came out GREAT) and I’m watching TV and see you on GGG. I heard you mention the blog and I said “Hmmmm…that sounds like the site I got my bean recipe from” and sure enough – it WAS you! Delicious – looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Ha! How cool is that! Thanks for watching, Shauna!!
Myrna
I would like a dollar for every butter bean I shelled as a kid. I prefer ham hocks. I don’t remember getting a lot of choices about dinner and never suffered for it. Good eating.
.You mentioned ketchup. I don’t have any in my house but, I can’t imagine navy beans without ketchup in the center. Today, BBQ sauce might work.
Sherri Metz
This is the BEST Lima bean recipe EVER! Thank you!
Awesome!! Thank you, Sherri!!
Linda
So good I could eat these every day!!!!
Thanks, Linda!
Len
Waarom heet het boterbonen, zie nergens gebruik van boter….
There are a couple theories, but most agree that butter beans get their name not from the ingredient butter, but rather their buttery texture.
Kimberly
This recipe is AMAZING. I stir it ❤️
Thanks, Kimberly!
Carol S.
Stacy, I didn’t know I’m Southern, but from your recipes, I ascertain that I am! My maternal grandparents were both gone before I was born. My grandmother was Irish, but my Mom thinks she heard my grandfather was from Kentucky. She probably cooked his favorites for him and passed them along to my Mom and I grew up eating them. Growing up in German Cincinnati with German paternal grandparents and a heavy amount of Irish, I never considered myself a Southerner, so thanks for that! Question: I remember how delicious my Mom’s butter beans were. I won’t ever use ham hocks because of digging out the bones as one of your commenters said. I do run to Honeybaked Ham right after Christmas to buy their ham bones which are pricey (the ones in my freezer are $12+) and are meaty. Probably too much for this recipe, right?
No, I think a ham bone would work just fine in this one. And as it relates to the hocks, I’ve never had to dig bones out. They hold together very well and you can use a pair of tong to simply remove the entire thing.
Larry
Try using Ham Shanks instead of Ham Hocks. More meat and a lot less fat.
Melinda J Wilcox
sometimes Honey Baked Ham Store sells their ham bones at buy one get one free but I find they don’t advertise so call to ask. Many times they have a surplus of bones.
This is a great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Jim Coles
This is pretty much the way I cook Limas and, or White Beans (aka Navy beans) …
I substitute pork riblets for the ham hock just because I don’t want to fool with picking bones.
The meat I cook separately till about 3/4 done to render out the oil & meat juices then add the meat to the beans in the last hour of slow simmering.
I use”flavored water” for boiling the beans — a mix of well water, homemade chicken stock with the schmaltz & dried onion flakes.
Just before the beans finish I pull out two, one-cup ladles of beans & smash them into a slurry which I pour back into the pot. This gives me a rich sauce that costs the beans & holds the meat flavor in…
Add sweet corn cornbread & fresh butter… chopped onions for garnish & crunch …
O.M.G.!!
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing, Jim!
Doris
Sounds awesome! I add a bit of garlic and use chix stock as well rather than water. Perfect for a winter day’s lunch or dinner. I will add some cubed ham from a boneless prepackaged ham steak about one hour before done. Yum Yum
Yum!!
Crystal Dupree
Honey I’m southern and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, BUTTER BEANS and was reading through your recipe and I suddenly realized that you sir are missing the main ingredient to those BUTTER BEANS!!!!🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ IT’S THE BUTTER MAN, WHERE THE HECK IS THE BUTTER?? IT’S LITERALLY THE MAIN INGREDIENT!!!! 3/4 of 1 stick of butter. Do like I do, and just add the whole stick. TRY IT BUD, YOU WILL THANK ME LATER I SWEAR!!!!🤣🤣
My family has never put actual butter in butter beans, but I’ll be sure to try it that way next time. Thanks for setting me straight! 🙂
Rebecca
Yesssss!!!😍😍😂😂🤣🤣 How dare he forget the butter! 🙄🤭
R
Crystal, most Southerners actually do not use butter in the butter beans. I am a descendant of the Lee family of VA – no butter in the butter beans, honey. We’ve been making that dish since early colonial era.
Kittie
I love to put ham hock in my butter bean gives it great flavor.
Yum! It does add great flavor!
Richard Niner
Fantastic, just like Mom used to make. Thank you for sharing this.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Helene Royster
Not enough flavor for my taste buds. I used the crockpot receipt and 9 cups of water was too much. We like our butter beans in a gravy like sauce. I believe 6 cups of would suffice. I added a bay leaf and a little ham concentrate to give it more flavor.
Ham concentrate is a great idea to add flavor. I use it often in other recipes.
Camille Whitman
I am Guilty of being a Salt addict! SO I substituted 2 cans of ckn broth for water.i also Love Ham Hocks, but discovered Ham Shanks and think they have a little less fat but just the right amount. And more meat. Thank you for your recipe. I hope you don’t mind the tweaks .
I don’t mind at all! Thanks for sharing your variations!
JoAnn Biccum
Making these now…my in-laws would make navy bean soup, bake the leftovers and eat on bread with raw onion and mayo! One of my favorite sandwiches and lots of black pepper! I use lima beans and or navy beans.
Hope they turned out great for you!
Barry
Great recipe! However, the linked “science article” missed the entire reason beans must be soaked overnight and rinsed. Beans contain an anti-nutrient called lignins. It is a protein that interferes with nutrient absorption. Soaking and rinsing greatly reduce harmful lignins. Pressure cooking also greatly reduce lignins.
Thanks, Barry! Glad you enjoyed it! I’m not a food scientist, but I play one on tv… Of course, I’m just kidding. There’s so much info out there, I just want to be sure I’m not misrepresenting the facts and I’m always willing to learn. Do you know if this is the case with all beans? My understanding is that while it is labelled an anti-nutrient, lignin is also a source of dietary insoluble fiber. Did you know strawberries are super high in lignin?
Cynthia Dupre
Thank you for that advice and wisdom, I was going to soak mine but then saw I did not have to but this post brought me back to the right way, Thanks.
Diana Cox
I am going to try this. I love a good pot of beans and ham. I usually use navy or white beans. I also add onion and carrots. My mom also taught me to soak overnight or quick soak if necessary.
Hope you’ll enjoy these!
Annie Maier
Wonderful recipe, Stacey! Just like my mom and grandma make/made them! I’ve never tried making large limas and ham myself, but today it’s cool and rainy and I have a hankering. Can’t wait till dinner time! (Maybe I’ll stir up some cornbread or biscuits, too.)
Sure hope you enjoy them!
Marjorie Chan
Can I cook the bean in instant pot?
Absolutely! Though you’ll need a different amount of water, I’d guess. I don’t have tons of experience with the Instant Pot. This might be helpful: https://bakemesomesugar.com/instant-pot-butter-beans/
jeanette smitherman
I really appreciate all these recipes that I am discovering how to cook and making my family happy. Thank you for all the easy recipes that you post. I really enjoy making all these recipes. Please keep them coming so that I can be a pro just like you.
So glad to hear you’re getting some good use out of the recipes, Jeanette!
Gee
Southern Lima Bean Soup (Butter Beans)
Can baby lima beans be used ?
Sure! The dried baby limas should work, though the cook time might be shorter.
Devonna Perez
Could you give me a recommendation on a good brand of dry lima beans? Thanks
I typically buy Dixie Lily or Camellia brand.
David Jones
Recipe worked great as written, only changes I made: I soaked the beans overnight, added a diced onion for flavor, used about 6 oz country ham pieces as I had on hand (next time may add more for more flavor), and used 8 cups water to start, after 1 hr cooking added additional 2 cups water, and I also added pepper and garlic powder at the start, but no salt – personal preference. After about 1.5 hours cooking after the initial 20 min boil they were ready, very tender and perfectly cooked and flavored. A great recipe, I used the larger white variety of lima/butter beans.
So glad you enjoyed these, David!
Gary Lynn Bailey
love large lima beans…which are not as easy to find in the store as they used to be.
i usually use left over ham from the holidays. take it out of the freezer as needed.
do it as you have here except i do saute a little onion before i add the beans. and somewhere in the simmering process add a tab of butter. they are called butter beans after all. good stuff.
Hope you enjoy them!
Katherine
Search Cajun grocery, louisiana.
Clara McElroy
Comfort food from my childhood and I’m 85. My only additions are onions and bay leaves. I prefer a thick broth so I mash most of the beans. This next addition came in later years, thanks to the Magic Pan restaurant – add a little dry sherry to the bowl.
Thanks for the sherry tip, Clara!
Sharon Fair
I cooked “big lima beans” yesterday and they looked just like your last pan shown. So delicious with fried ham, turnip greens and cornbread!
Yum!
LindY G G Sherrod
This is how my Mama cooked them and so do I. Pure comfort food, fry some cornbread and you got the best meal ever.
Agreed! Thanks, Lindy!
Lowell Fetrow
Cooked these dried lima beans for 9 hours trying to get them soft, they are still hard as a rock. I have too throw them out !!!!!!!
There’s definitely something wrong there. Typically, when beans won’t soften it means the beans are too old, your water is too hard, or there was some kind of acidic ingredient added to the recipe. Any chance it could be one of those?
Paula Anthony
Recipe was very simple. Followed every step which calls for 9 cups of water that you definitely don’t need. Unless of course if you want your Lima beans swimming.
Hey, Paula! Did you soak your beans before hand?
Peggy Williams
I love most variety of dried beans if ever water is needed to be added be sure it’s boiling water if not the beans will tend to be a bit hard
Kevin
This is a great and tasty lama bean recipe I’ve made it more than once and I’m making it now as we speak
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this one, Kevin!
Bobbie
Thank you for this! My mom passed away in October, and while cleaning out her home I found a bag of dry large lima beans. I said to my husband that I’ve never done these myself, but remember them from my childhood. I wasn’t sure how, but now I do-thanks to you!
Love your site and your stories! Thank you <3
Thank you, Bobbie! I’m so sorry to hear about your mom.
Zora Adams
I’ve started cooking them now. I put country ham pieces in them. I hope that will be enough salt. You said add pepper. I’m doing that now..They are in slow cooker.
Hope they turned out great for you! You can always add more salt if necessary.
Murray Gaulding
Sounds good. I’m making them now
Hope they turn out great for you!
Susan
Thank you Stacey. I threw my bag away and could not remember. After soaking beans… I forgot how long to cook, thank you. Very good article, photos, and recipe. I was going to ask what tge secret ingredient is to avoid gas from beans and you said yiur mom said ginger. I am allergic to ginger so no on that but i thought it was baking soda. I am not sure so i won’t use that either but i will use a ham bone!!! Thank you!
I’m just not sure of a sure-fire way to eliminate it.
Monty T Williams
My grandmother used to add a small amount (maybe 1tsp) of banking soda to her beans. Didn’t affect the taste at all, but as she told me when I asked why, she said “It takes the fa•ts out of them”! Lol! It worked!
Ha! Thanks for the tip, Monty!
ROZ
Mine turned out excellent. I used smoked turkey wings!!! Very tasty!!!
Yum! Those turkey wings work perfectly!
Sande Mullen
Excellent recipe
Thanks, Sande!
Sandy
I make my beans almost like you do and I always soak my beans as my mom taught me to. I like to add a bag of frozen vegetables at the end. Cornbread with Lima Beans is a must!!
Agreed!
Pamela Johnson
One thing about butter beans you don’t boil them hard you just let it come a rolling boil them let them boil, add more water each time they boil down. Them at the end once there done and you soup is thick add a 1/2 butter. Which is one stick. Just remember don’t boil your beans hard. You will have plump bean and hood pot Liquor.
Constance Lucas
I’m soaking my beans tonight
However I’m using chicken stock instead of water and will watch my salt
Can’t wait I love butter beans
Sure hope you’ll enjoy them!
Brad
Wayyyyy too much water! My beans turned to mush. Really upset over this recipe.
Oh I am so sorry this happened! Did you soak your beans first? Maybe they were cooked too long? About how long did you cook them?
Susan
The beans can be old. I have had this happen. Not sure why but this is the correct methodology.
Nick
Not being familiar with Southern Lima Beans, I followed your recipe to the letter, and was rewarded with a great pairing to tonight’s pot roast. Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Michelle Miz
It’s chilly in Philly today. So what better to make for dinner than some butter beans. These are exactly how I cook mine and for some reason was looking for a recipe. After coming across yours I instantly knew not to mess with perfection lol delicious tender and flavorful was the turn out. Enjoy your day!
Thanks and have a great day!
Glen Sutphin
I had been looking for a great butter bean recipe for quite some time, since my usual canned go to was unavailable due to supply chain shortages; this one is just super. I will use slightly less water next time, maybe 8 cups and am going to try half chicken broth next time. It’s delicious and much better than the canned!
Thank you so much Glen!
Bessie
I love your Recipe it is the same one I have used for years. For the people who are getting to much liquid what I do when this is starting to happen is I put a very clean towel on top of the slow cooker and then put the lid back on. This keeps the drips from forming on the lid and going back into the pot. I use this for a lot of things in the crockpot . Hope this helps someone.
Thanks for the wonderful “hack” Bessie!
Roberta Allison
Hi Stacey, My Mom used to cook butter beans until they were well done. Cook the water down so the broth was kind of thick. Then she added condensed milk to make more broth. They were great!!
This sounds amazing!
Mary
Hi Stacey,
Great recipe! I added thyme for a bit more flavor. Thank you for the recipe!
Sounds great!
Patti Geisenheimer
Hi Stacey,
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. I don’t remember the brand name now, since I was a kid when Mom used to buy them. I don’t think I ever bought them as an adult, and I’m almost 60. 🙂 Anyway, my mom said she thought they were in a molasses sauce? Would that be right? I don’t even know what to use molasses for except molasses cookies. Lol. So I’m not sure if it would taste good in these beans or not. Yours look perfect to me though. And I am betting they taste so much better than canned. Thank you so much for the recipe. If you think molasses would be good in this recipe, could you let me know how to add it, and if I’d have to add anything else, like brown sugar or something? Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to taste these… and they sound heavenly with corn bread!
Hey, Patti! I’ve heard of putting molasses in beans like this that are baked, but can’t say that I remember hearing of folks putting it in ones made like this. I’ll keep my ears open and let you know if I do, though.
Cathy Smith
Love your recipies. I have a hack I learned from my Aunt Opal. If Y’all don’t 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.
I’ve not heard that one. Thanks for sharing.
Carol S.
I grew up with Joan of Arc canned beans that are still around.
Sharon Grene
Hi Stacey. I did this in the Instant Pot, slow cook, and high heat. It tastes delicious but it still has a lot of water. I’ll have to drain them. Any suggestions?
I don’t have tons of instant pot experience but probably just reduce the initial amount of water added!
Pauline
My grandma made Lima bean in a slow cooker for all day it seamed . I am going to try your recipe in my slow cooker but I was wondering if I could Use chicken broth and half water?? Along with the other ingredients?
Cathy
I have used chicken broth for my beans, boiling potatoes, some pastas depending on what I’m making and rice. It makes these so much more tasty 😋😊
The half water and half chicken broth should work fine!
Derek
I live in New Jersey and I’m making Lima beans as I write this at 1:08am with smoked turkey legs and homemade biscuits,yes i make homemade biscuits,i let my beans soak for about an hour then i boil the smoked turkey legs for a couple of hours,when there done I take them out and let them cool off so I can shred them,then I’ll add my lima beans to the smoked turkey leg water,I usually add more hot water,I’ll bring the lima beans to a boil then I’ll turn the flame down a bit,when the lima beans are just about done I’ll add a stick of butter and add the shredded smoked turkey legs,then I’ll put my homemade biscuits in the oven,it’s really a great tasting meal,I learned this recipe from my mom when I was growing up…
This sounds amazing!
Claudia McDonald
Stacey, Have you heard this song about butter beans? Here’s the link. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/tZnczHVlv_Q
Ha! That’s great!
Jim
I love these beans but since they take soooo long to cook I don’t add the Honey Baked ham bone until the last hour of cooking. It’s probably not right but I also add diced carrots and celery in the last hour, it’s just the way I like them.
All that matters is that YOU like them!
Stacy
These have been added to my rotation. They are perfect exactly as written. Thank you for your wonderful recipes. Everyone I have tried has been fantastic!
Thank you!
Cathy
I love, love, love this page!!
I’m so glad!
Taufiq Habib
Regarding a statement about soaking the beans…
I’m sorry to say but modern science has shown that boiling beans for 2 to 3 minutes and then soaking them overnight reduces the long chain sugar molecules which can cause gas and bloating.
Your mother was right.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/legumes/art-20044278
I cited a few sources as well. There are arguments on both sides of the fence. Regardless, you can certainly cook them without them being soaked.
Fred
Stacy I’m cooking your butter beans recipe today. Strolling through your recipes and got to your picture and saw you were a man!!! I too am a man but I love too cook. My wife and friends like my cooking. I guess I must be pretty good. Added a pinahiling of onion and garlic powder and a stick of butter to the recipe. Slow cooking. Should be interesting!!!! Doing a pot of greens also !!!
Sounds like a solid meal to me. Hope it turns out well for you!
Susan Mulledy DeFrank
Loved reading through your recipe with the back story of your Mom cooking them. I’ve never actually had a recipe, My Mom and my Grandmother both made great Butter Beans, exactly as you have written it. I’ve been making them for the past fifty years and I can close my eyes and see both my Mom and my Grandmother enjoying them along with me. Thanks for the memories.
I love it when a post can bring back memories like that! Thanks for sharing!
VB
Great….now I want some “fat butter beans”! I use both chicken broth and ham hocks for mine, cooking the hocks some first. Reading this makes me realize I probably need to cool that liquid before adding the beans. My mom soaked all dried beans overnight, but I learned quickly not to soak theses or black eye peas.. add the cornbread and we are happy campers!
Cooking the broth with the hocks first is a great way to add more smoky flavor.
Faye Abernathy
I love these beans anyway they are cooked.
One problem my husband DOES NOT.
My mom made them like yours does, so that is how I make them.
The comment about freezing the cornbread with them, now that is smart thinking.
Have a blessed day.🌹
Thanks, Faye! You, too!
Sandra
Fresh butter beans from your garden are a completely different food from dried Lima beans. Both are delicious, but not the same. The fresh beans are delicate, require very little cooking time, and do not need aggressive seasoning – a few slices of bacon or fatback, a small ham chunk, even just a half stick of butter, salt snd pepper is all it takes.
Dried limas are a hearty one-dish meal. This recipe covers the basics, but I do an enriched version. Make the ham stock ahead to produce a rich, highly seasoned broth for the dried (unsoaked) beans. 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. When stock has cooked 2 or 3 hours, let it cool, skim off excess fat, then strain into a large pot. Shred ham pieces and set aside. Add beans, bring to boil and cook at low boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour or until tender, but not falling apart. Gently stir in reserved ham shreds. Taste and adjust seasoning, add hot pepper flakes if desired, snd serve in bowls with some of the broth. The cooked beans can be held for a few hours if desired. Just reheat gently on medium before serving. Don’t stir vigorously or you’ll destroy the structure. Serve with hot cornbread or a hearty rustic yeast bread for sopping the juice. (Make ahead ti:: prepare the stock a day or two ahead snd store in refrigerator after straining, reserving ham shreds in a separate container. Reheat the stock before continuing with recipe.)
While they both are lima beans, they sure do produce different dishes, don’t they? Your version sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Aileen
Thank you for the links Stacey! I have pintos in my pantry and keep putting off cooking them because I forget to soak them. But now I don’t have to! I have a Texas recipe for dried butter beans that’s good but I’m going to try yours. 🙂
You’re so welcome! Hope you enjoy this version.
Nina Capaccio
Good Afternoon Stacey:
Getting hungry just reading recipe LOL. Had a girlfriend from Alabama and she learned from her mom to make lima beans with chicken wings. They were awesome. No real recipe.. soaked beans overnight, added water, chopped onions, salt, pepper, a “pile of chicken wings”… viola! Cook till done. Just love those down to earth recipes…just get it done. Was wondering if you ever heard of that one?
I have ham and a ham bone from Honey Baked Ham in freezer. Just happen to have a big ol’ bag of lima beans sitting on my kitchen counter. Hmmmm….. 🙂 I see this meal in my future.
Also, have you ever made this in the Instant Pot? Am guessing about 25 minutes or so? Less water if soaked overnight?
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes, each one is like a warm hug. Enjoy your recipes and writing immensely.
I have certainly heard of cooking them with smoked turkey wings but can’t say I have ever heard of cooking them with chicken wings. Did she use raw chicken wings?
My mom uses the instant pot to cook lima beans all the time but I have never done this. Her’s are always delicious! Maybe someone can chime in with a recipe for us.
Nina Capaccio
WOW… smoked turkey wings..this is getting better and better! LOL I do a goodly amount of cooking of using smoked turkey wings. Now I have another reason to do more. Will be looking forward to that Instant Pot Lima Bean Recipe!
Stacey, would we be able to get your Mom’s Instant Pot recipe? If you say it’s good… that about seals the deal.
Let me see if I can get her to write it down for us…
Nina Capaccio
That would be fantastic! No doubt there are many others that would love getting those yummy beans into the Instant Pot.
JANE SMITH
This is exactly how I’ve done mine for 50-odd years. And boy some of those years have been odd!
The only dried bean that I cook in a non-standard way is pinto beans. Dallas water is super hard, and every once in a while you can cook beans til the cows come home and they stay hard as a rock. An old chuckwagon cook gave me a tip to help with that. Put your beans on with enough water to cover them, put like 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. baking soda in them, and get them to a good rolling boil for about five minutes.
Drain, rinse real good, and do it all over again. I do like 2 to 3 waters this way, especially if the water smells really chlorinated. The last time rinse the daylights out of them and cook them as usual from there.
I have never had a problem with the beans staying hard with this method, and I tend to not be a “soak them overnight” kinda gal. It does take a few minutes but I do beans on lazy days anyhow.
Happy new year to all the Southern Bite family!
Nina Capaccio
Hi Jane: Duhhh…about soaking and rinsing…should have read yours. 🙂 prior to dashing off my comment. Am guessing that the double rinse would also work for us here in Las Vegas, we have super hard and chlorinated water also. I do however use the filtered water from our fridge. And that does help. I think you also saved the hard bean issue with the baking soda. That has happened a couple times to me also.
Now I would also like to make these little gems in the Instant Pot versus Slow Cooker. Looking for a recipe on that one too.
Thanks for including your bits and tips of information, just love sharing. Have a super day.
Love hearing about those tried and true methods! Thanks for sharing and Happy New Year!
CV
Oh my god. Cream in lima beans. Butter in lima beans. I grew up on Louisiana cooking and have never heard of that. No wonder so many people are dying of heart attacks, obesity, and diabetes. Oh well. Still I respect the original simple recipe for these beans. It’s what I have always done.
Jane
My mother use to make these for lunch when we came home from school at lunch time. We ate them with bread and butter and it was my favorite lunch . I’ve never made mine as good as hers but I’m going to try some of these suggestions. Thanks for the recipe and all the comments!
Such sweet memories, Jane! Thanks for sharing!
Mike Lewis
And ya can’t call it butter if it’s margarine no matter who manufactures it…LOL
Ha! No argument here. 🙂
Marilyn E Thomson
Hello Stacey – how can I make this soup using canned beans?
Hmmm… This recipe is really more about cooking beans from dry. Canned beans would be the same as the result from cooking these.
Brenda
My grandmother put dumplings in her dried butter beans! Made them creamy. We loved them!
Yum!!
Deborah
When did she add the dumplings in with the butter beans ? At the beginning or like the last hour or so?
Debby
One of my favorite meals is butterbeans and cornbread! Yours look amazing! I think your recipe is similar to the one I was taught by my grandmother.
Thank you, Debby!
Virginia
As a child growing up, we had these dried large beans and a thick liquid with them. After we had eaten them for awhile, my mother would put them into a baking dish (with some, but not all of the liquid) and add some home canned tomato chunks to the beans. She added a small diced onion to the banking dish. A small amount of dark brown sugar was added too. Strips of bacon were laid on top of the casserole dish and baked in the oven. That baked bean dish was heavenly!
I laughed when someone blogged the beans were called Johnson ears; biggity beans, mule ears….great stories. That is what is so interesting about your website…..the bloggers post wonderful life time stories!
That sounds absolutely delicious, Virginia! Thanks for sharing!!
YVETTE
I have a question. Is there anything wrong when your butter beans split upon soaking or Cooking? This is the 1st time this has happened.
While they might not look as pretty, they’re perfectly fine. Sometimes that happens when the inside of the bean hydrates faster than the skin and they split. Some say soaking in salted water helps this, but I’ve not tested it, per se.
Abby
Stacey, this is a question rather than a comment. My mother use to serve these beans with a jelly. I can taste it now as I type but cannot remember the type of jelly. Do you or any of your readers have any idea what jelly goes with this meal?
Hi Abby! I’ve heard of serving them with ketchup, but I’m not sure I’ve heard of jelly. Maybe someone else will chime in and help us out!
Tracey
Beng from the Caribbean we love butter beans in our oxtails made similar to beef stew. I have dried and cans in my kitchen. If I make them southern style I use smoked Turkey legs, wings or necks for my meat so delicious. Thanks for sharing
Sounds amazing!
glasslass
Love, Love Butter Beans but alas none in my family likes them. But I have a neighbor who’s also crazy about them. The only difference is that last year when I reached for the 2 pack ham hocks it was close to $8. WOW. So I’m standing there with another women who picks up a pkg of smoked neck bones, half the price, and said I started using these and while it takes more time to shred the flavor is great and much more meat that the hocks. So bought them and they were everything she said. Learned to cook the bones the day before, cool overnight and cook beans in the water from the meat and pick the bones the next day. Yep, more time consuming but so much meat I was blown away. That’s all I use now.
Thanks for the great tips!
Wanda
I had a taste for Lime Beans, so I decided to try this recipe. This was my very first time cooking lime beans. I cooked the beans in a Crockpot on high, the beans and smoked turkey was cooked within 3 hours. In addition, I had to drain 4 cups of liquid from the finished dish. I was well pleased with the outcome. Next time I will reduce the water to 4.5 cups instead of 9. My family absolutely love it. I forgot to take a photo, we devoured the dish immediately.
So glad to hear y’all enjoyed them!
Heather
My mother passed away a week ago and this was one of my favorite dishes she made. She used chopped ham steak and a little onion. Should I sauté those first or how would I add those in?
Yes, I think I’d sauté them to start, then add the water and ham hock. Enjoy!
Hannah Esther Stephens
Can this be done in a pressure cooker? If so do you know what the time adjustments would be?
I’ve not done that, but it should work. I would keep the measurements the same and cook them on high pressure for about 30 minutes followed by a 15 to 20 minute natural pressure release. Just be sure not to overfill your pressure cooker.
Odette
I’ve done them in the Instant Pot with a ham bone and they were awesome! The pressure releases the marrow in the bone by cracking it open, making the beans even more flavorful!
Yvonne Bates
I like to cook and bake, but for butter beans I just purchase a can of Hanover’s Butter beans, add 1 tbls.. butter and 1 tbls. catsup….yum. I am a widow and do not want to cook up a whole pot of beans ! I have them with corn muffins and fruit for lunch .
I totally understand that! I can’t say I’ve ever tried Hanovers, but sounds like I should!
Kathy
My Mom made these for dinner frequently and I loved them! But she added a tomato sauce near the end of cooking. Unfortunately her recipe passed with her. Once she said the tomato sauce was just tomato soup! Any ideas? I also think she added garlic…because she added garlic to everything!
I don’t have anything quite like that, but it sounds amazing! Were they sweet at all?
Brandi
Oh forgot the rice! Add leftover rice when you add beans.
Brandi
This is going to sound crazy but I promise it is very good! The ketchup comment reminded me of it lol. Sauté an onion with salt and pepper. Add a large can of diced tomatoes and half can of water. Let simmer a few minutes. Add one package of Ball Park franks (sliced in bite size circles) and leftover Lima beans. Cook until heated through. Completely changes it up! One of our favorites as kids to eat next day for lunch ????
I’d certainly give it a try! Thanks for sharing, Brandi!!
Brandy Bell
This is how I make them as well I use smoked turkey necks so delish. Do you have any idea how to cook them in pressure cooker /air fryer? It does both just change the lids. Thanks ahead of time…
Thanks, Brandy! Unfortunately I don’t have much pressure cooker experience, but I bet someone else does and might be able to jump on and answer that for you.
Sharon Barton
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 jalapeño sausage link-should be ok!! Can’t wait!!!
Sounds great! Hope they turned out great for you!
Bev
I cooked these beans all day in a show cooker but there’s still so much liquid it’s more like bean soup. Any suggestions?
Cooking them in a slow cooker doesn’t allow for much evaporation so they will certainly have more liquid. You can always ladle some out.
RIETJE KEYES
I GREW UP DURING WW11. IN THE NETHERLANDS.THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR WE LIVED ON 400 CALORIES PER DAY. MY FATHER GOT A BASKET OF LIMA BEANS FROM A BULB GROWER AND MY MOM WOULD ADD A HANDFUL OF BEANS TO A PAN OF WATER WITH SUGAR BEETS, CABBAGE, CARROTS AND YES, EVEN SOME TULIP BULBS. NOT VERY GOOD TASTING. BUT THEY KEPT US ALIVE! I NOW FEEL SO FORTUNATE I CAN COOK THE BEANS WITH WHATEVER I HAVE IN MY KITCHEN.
What a remarkable story!
Rob Anderson
It is! We really take a lot for granted these days.
Mo
I used pork jowl instead of hock and added acv. They were absolutely delicious. I made a huge batch and froze the rest and it’s just as good reheated, maybe better.
You’ve got my mouth watering! Glad they turned out great for you!
Jerry
I usually like these over white rice with pepper vinegar splashed all over it. The thick broth mixes with the rice to make a stew.
Sounds delicious to me!
Roseann
I make a soup out of dried beans either large or small (and I do soak) and always with a good cottage ham. I cut the ham in half to get the most flavor and also add lots of chopped onion. The cottage ham makes this recipe. The meat comes out super tender and silky.
That sounds delicious!!
Melody Hegler
My favorite meal growing up, butter beans, fried chicken and my mamas biscuits. I loved the butter beans so much that when I had my tonsils out at age 30 it was all they could get me to eat.
Ha! They’re a favorite of mine, too!
Alan Mountjoy-Venning
And reducing cooking time means you don’t heat up your kitchen in the summer, then using more energy (AC) to cool things down. It does seem Texas needs to learn a bit about energy.
Pete Plant
Can you actually stir the beans too much? The reason I ask is because I was trying to get the liquid broth around my beans but it seems that the broth solidified too much. I like the broth to be where you can actually drink it. I tried to keep the water level over the beans at the right level while cooking. How can I make sure I have the liquid broth and not with the mashed potatoe texture?
Yes. Stirring them too much with break the beans up and kinda turn them into mush.
Pete
Thats what I was thinking also. Perhaps I just stirred a little too much but you know another thing is that every time I soak the beans overnight , my broth turns out very nice, not mushy. I tried his method of not soaking the beans overnight and thats where I ran into trouble but I think it was because maybe I stirred a little too much. Thank you for your input !
Marilou
We like to make bean salad with butter fat beans. We just used canned butter fat beans oil and vinegar salt and pepper and minced garlic. I cannot find nor have been able to find for over a year canned butter fat beans. If anyone knows where I can find them, please let me know. I live in New Hampshire.
Janice Gowens
I’ve never heard of “butter fat” beans.
Do they look like butter/lima beans?
Chareou Caprice Condelee
Love the website!! New commer!!
Welcome! Thanks so much!
Norma
You’re recipe is the way I was taught to cook dried lima beans and ham, however I throw in one or two Bay leaves. My brother-in-law always called the large limas “choke beans”! I have a pot on the stove right now. Going to make a pone of cornbread to go with it. Yum!
Sounds like the perfect supper to me!
Pam Phelps
My mom taught me to cook dried limas and I soak them because of tradition. I also serve them in a bowl topped with chopped fresh tomatoes, onions and red wine vinegar. A homemade hot biscuit makes this a full and hearty meal.
I am glad some of the old ways aren’t forgotten.
Sounds great, Pam!
Dawn Tice
I used to soak mine because my mom did.. however I love this method. Excellent recipe! I added about 1/4 cup of evaporated milk and 4Tof butter near the end!
Glad you’ve enjoyed it, Dawn! The evap milk and butter sound like perfect additions!
Barbara A Stein
No need to soak overnight?
Actually, no. Be sure to read the post. I mention it several times.
Ella
Stacey, soaked my beans overnight and there were tons of bean “skins”. I guess they help thicken the soup? Was I supposed to cull through them and remove them before cooking? (It would have been about 1/2 of the bean volume! Just wondering…
Hi Ella! I don’t normally soak my beans, so I’ve not had that problem much. I think it’s a matter of preference. You can take them off, but the the beans will essentially cook to mush. Lots of folks like that, others, not so much.
Barbara
Add cream of mushroom soup delicious
I’ll have to try that! Sounds great! Thanks for sharing.
Julie Dee
If you do use a slow cooker does the stirring rule still apply? I’ve done these both ways–on the stove and in the crock and one time they turned out not creamy or flavorful, and I think it was the crock method. But I can’t remember. Ask your mom. Otherwise this is my go-to comfort food. I’ve loved lima beans since I was a kid and my mom never understood it. I finally had to learn to make these after having them in a soul food restaurant in Amarillo. Unforgettable.
I think you’d definitely want to take that top off and stir occasionally to get them creamy. You’d just have to take into account that taking the top off will extend the cook time a bit.
vicki myers
I freeze leftover beans in a zip lock bag. Take out and put in saucepan and add a little water. Warm slowly without stirring.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!!!
Nannie Crawford
Was always wondering if beans could be frozen after cooking. Thanks for the info.
Dale Cone
Thanks for sharing, I did not know stirring would thicken the juice. I like the thicker juice. My husbands favorite meal over rice. I have used raw bacon in them while cooking
Yeah, it breaks up some of the beans and the starch causes them to thicken up. Hope you’ll enjoy them!!
Christine
Y’all must be from South East Texas equine successful in the way I fix this dish that I learned from my mom and my grandma and yes I do put ketchup on it Yum
Lorah Siverson
Dying to try making this. My dad made this all the time when I was growing up. My question is…should I add butter, I remember my dad adding butter to the pot before it cooked all day
I think you can certainly add some butter if you wish.
Karen Barbour
I add chopped onion when cooking. Then when they’re cooked I add Bisquik dumplins to them. Just mix, drop by teaspoon (they swell), let them cook for a bit, turn each one over, cook the other side, and add one with your bowl of beans and some fresh raw chopped onion!
I love the idea of adding dumplings to this! Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Dorothy W.
Can this dish be frozen? Thank you, I am 76 and just learned how to make my Butter beans thick. Just stir them, how easy is that! Who says you can’t teach an old “dog” new tricks.
Hey, Dorothy! Unfortunately, I’ve not tried freezing them, so I can’t say for sure.
Karen
absolutely beans can be frozen. We dish them up in boy-snack sized portions to tide people over from football practice to suppertime. They reheat well in the microwave.
Patt Brantley
I always make a large bag at one time. I can eat for a couple days and then freeze small portions for later. Usually I add cornbread to the bag also. Always comes out just as good.
Thanks for sharing, Patt!
Joy
I must jump in about the name of these beans! I am from the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Growing up, we called them and still do, Biggety Beans. Why, Because they are big and we would know exactly what kind of butter bean we would be eating for supper. We always ate them over a bed of white rice with chopped onions and cornbread. YUM! YUM! Ya’ll this is good eat’n!
Thanks for sharing, Joy!
Cindy Jordan
Stacey, this recipe does not call for soaking the beans overnight. Should I soak the dried beans overnight?
No, there’s no need. I talk about it above in the post. Be sure to check it out.
Jeff
I would like to say something about this soaking controversy. Whether you soak your beans (any kind of bean) or not, really all depends on your elevation above sea level. If you live in south-east Texas, as I do, there is absolutely no reason in the world to soak a bean. If you live in some mountainous region that is way above sea level, you better soak them are they will never get done. I think the deciding elevation is 1400 feet above sea level, but not sure about that. Some point in between just means less soaking time. Hope this helps.
I’ve honestly never considered that. Thanks for sharing, Jeff!
Susan
You mean like at 5280 ft where I live? Sometimes they still don’t get properly done. And I got mine at Rancho Gordo and probably paid a fortune for shipping, but don’t care now,
just should have ordered more than a pound!
Karen
I absolutely love lima beans but I have never eaten them in tomatoes. Did you grow up eating them that way, & would you tell me how they are fixed plz?
Kristen
Yep. Oddly, any form of lima bean seems to have fallen through some kind of COVID crack here in the southwest too. On a different note, based on a recent article in Bon Appetit mag, I made a pot of pintos last month without soaking for the first time ever. What it said made sense: if you want your beans to taste like water go ahead and soak them. If you want them to taste like the ingredients in your broth just start them from dry so they can soak all that stuff up. Those beans were good!
I totally agree! And if folks do decide to soak them, I recommend cooking them in the soaking liquid. They’ll have better flavor.
PattiAnn
Having a heck of a time finding dried limas/butter beans here in Central Oregon since this covid thing.
But when I can get my hands on some, there is nothing better than a simple preporation like yours to bring out all the lucious flavor these beans have to offer.
Thank you.
Thanks, PattiAnn! I couldn’t agree more! Hope you can get your hands on some soon!
Chareou Caprice Condelee
@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!! I saw this post cause I don’t go on recipe blogs and I was looking for a recipe, so no problem my name is Chareou Condelee and I live at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, phone # XXXXXXXXXXX give me a call I can pick them up at our neighborhood Stater Bros store, going to get a bag tomorrow !!! lol for Valentine’s Day dinner!!
Have a Nice Day!!
Happy Valentines Day!!
Sandra B. Mull
I usually use chicken broth for half the liquid, which is different from how my Mama and Grandmama cooked them. I sometimes add a chopped sweet onion and a pinch of thyme. But dried limas are a perfect meal anyway you prepare them as long as you don’t omit the fatty, pork seasoning.
Sounds great and I’m always a fan of adding more flavor when you can!
Darlene Kistler-Alvord
If they are green, we called them Lima beans, dried, they are butter beans. The baby butter beans are my favorites.
It’s so interesting how folks seem to be one way or the other.
sue
I soak the dried beans overnight in a large pot. I rinse the beans in the morning and then use my crockpot! Delicious!
My mom almost always does hers in the slow cooker now.
Julie
Do they still come out creamy or do you have to stir, even in the crock pot?
I think they need a little stirring in the crock pot, too.
Denise Fullerton
I find that soaking these beans overnight makes them fall apart more. So I don’t soak them and they are intact for the most part. Some still fall apart but I like them that way; it makes thicker juice. We eat them with cornbread, onion and chow chow. That’s all I need with them unless I have have some fresh green tomatoes to fry. Now that is a good southern meal!
Definitely!
Alan Mountjoy-Venning
Contrary to what the author says, science does tell us there’s a reason to soak beans. They produce complex sugars we’re not all able to digest, which accounts for bean’s reputations for flatulence. Soaking beans gets rid of many of those complex carbohydrates. And reducing cooking time is not an inconsequential benefit. I do lots of low energy and solar cooking and reduced cooking time matters if you don’t want to use a lot of extra energy.
It’s not just something I’ve made up. Here are a few resources from some well-respected institutions:
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/soaking-dried-beans-overnight-necessary
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/soaking-salting-dried-bean-myths-article
https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-dont-soak-dried-beans-20140911-story.html
https://www.foodandwine.com/beans-legumes/do-beans-need-to-be-soaked-before-cooking
Tj
Just wanted to say that the culinary world may feel there is no need to soak, but dietary reasons support soaking them. Most seeds contain substances that inhibit adsorption of nutrients and need these substances soaked out of them so that we can better use their nutrients. In nature these substances would be soaked out of the seeds with the spring rains and inhibit the growth of nearby plants, thus giving the seedling a head start. Beans need to be soaked and the soaking water dumped so that we do not ingest these substances and thereby inhibit our ability to absorb their nutrients, especially iron. Not soaking once in a while may not hurt, but over the long term can cause low iron and other deficiencies.
Hi TJ! Do you have a source for this info? I’d like to do some more research and consult a registered dietitian friend of mine for more info. Thanks!
Patt Brantley
I always soak the night before with a little baking soda, then rinse well the next morning. Maybe my imagination but it seems to reduce the gas the beans can cause. Key word: a little baking soda. One time I used too much and had to throw out the whole pot because it tasted like baking soda! Always use ham hock & a whole onion!
Diane
Funny story, and I’m giving away my age here. When I was a little girl visiting my grandparents on their farm in southern Kentucky my granny cooked these beans quite often. My granddaddy called them “Johnson ears”, as in President Lyndon Johnson who had quite large ears. That always made us kids giggle.
That’s hilarious!! Thanks for sharing!
Barbara Miller
You are so right about the stirring. The creamy broth is the best part of this dish.
They’re just not the same without that thick, creamy broth!
Karen
This is my favorite bean. Yes is awesome
with a piece of cornbread and onion. ????????
Sounds so good!
Jackie Maxwell
We eat them on cornbread with sliced onion and hard boiled eggs! Yum. That will be our dinner tonight!
Lisa Walters
My mommy parboiled them because it left a yucky taste if you didn’t. Then she would rinse them and returned to the stove in fresh water and let them cook stirring often and about 20 minutes before serving she added 1(one) stick of parkay margarine. Fry up some taters, make cornbread and mmm mmm that is butter beans. I like them with ham hocks but nothing beats my mommy’s butter beans. After all you can’t called butter beans without the butter, otherwise they are just a lima bean.
It’s so fun to hear about how folks call different foods different names! Thanks for sharing, Lisa!!
LaWanda Harris-Ford
my grandmother would also parboil them, then she would pour off the water and add new water to finish cooking them.
I’ve certainly heard of folks doing that.
Barbara
When I use the Crock Pot or the pressure cooker, when almost done, I dip a cup or two out of the pot and smash them up with a fork. Then put them back into the pot and stir. This helps give them the thick, creamy liquid. Taste wonderful!
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Cynthia McElhatten
Although this recipe sounds wonderful, my favorite way too have them is cooked in butter and a little cream. Then sooon them over buttered homemade bread. ❤️ I have always bought them in a can but tonight thy are soaking all night. I just made home bread today. I would love them with ham hock or baked the Greek way in tomato sauce.
I’ve yet to try them in the tomato sauce, but it’s on my list!
Janet Ross
me too. We didn’t have a lot of meat growing up but we did get butter from commodity
Deguello
Here’s another tip: if you’ve been wondering what do with that terrific Honey-Baked Ham bone from Thanksgiving, a pot of butter beans is the perfect dish to use it, but make it with 2 lbs. of beans.
Barbara
I have a friend who uses the dripping from honey baked ham for limas, great northern and navy beans. Delicious!
Yum! Great idea!
Shanamama1969
I tried that but the honey baked makes it too sweet.
Christine Stegall
You must be from Southeast Texas that’s 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
Marla
I’m from Southeast Texas and am drooling over that picture! lol!!!
Susan
I grew up in central Texas and butter beans was a favorite of mine. One tip I’ve learned over the years is a stick of unsalted butter and some onion salteed in the butter. Also, leaving out the ham and salt until the beans are tender makes for a much creamier texture. I also follow someone else’s tip of mashing some if they aren’t quite as creamy as I like when done.
Thanks for sharing your tips, Susan!
Tillie
I’ve made this recipe a couple times now. Great flavors – I love it but can anyone tell me why (the second time) mine had a bitter aftertaste? Maybe I cooked them too long?
Yes. The bitterness is often the result of overcooking. Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed them!
Gail Honadle
Grandma never measured a thing, she earned from her mom, she never learned to read either. She used Lard in her biscuits, pinched off a biscuit size piece, and placed in a bowl with watered down buttermilk to use as her starter.
I’ve used Corn Starch that I mix with water and pour it into my beans to thicken them, no lumps that way.
Pam
I do the smashing too but lose a lot of beans so gonna try stirring them more tonight…serving with cornbread like we Texans do😋
Hope you’ll enjoy.
Rhonda Van Winkle
I have always done a meal in a pot. I brown and season pork chops or pork steak in my wok using two slices of bacon cut up and about 3 tablespoons of butter. I moved the batter up to the sides of the rock once it starts to get done. When the meat is seared, I add water, mushrooms and beans and cook until beans are tender.’The broth with seared meat flavor is so good!
Sounds great!
Janet
Great idea! Thank you for sharing this.
Glad you liked it!