Do people still eat butter beans? Other people I mean because I still eat them! I’m not sure my children would even know what they are, even the foodie boy! I remember eating them at home, served in a white sauce, sometimes an onion sauce, I remember them at school and i think I may have been one of the few that ate them… great big, pale, beige, floury, sweet beans – they do have an annoying loose skin which put my friends off when we were sitting at the l long tables for school lunch. I buy tins of them now (yes, I know it’s cheaper to buy them uncooked, soak and cook them, but I always cook too many and then forget toe at them…)
The BBC food website tells me they are ‘ large, creamy-coloured beans that have a soft, floury texture when cooked…’ it goes on to say that they make ‘… a great vegetarian pâté and work well in mixed bean salads, or rich, wintry stews… mashed, or blitzed in soups and more ‘ and are ‘… a useful source of potassium...’
Their botanical name is phaseolus lunatus, and as well as being called butter beans they are also known as lima beans, sieva beans and Madagascar beans and originated in South America. They have lots of vitamins and minerals, as well as the potassium mentioned by the BBC – B1, B6, B9 and smaller amounts of E, K, B2, B3 and iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc… so they are jolly good for you! I’ve also just found out that butter beans and sweet corn make up the strange-sounding dish, succotash… the name might be weird, I guess I’m thinking of ‘sufferin succotash‘ but the recipes I’ve just looked up sound delicious!
So why don’t people like them as much as other beans, haricot, cannellini, kidney beans? Texture maybe? Pale colour? Don’t know what to do with them? One of my favourite ways to eat them is to make them into a dip – they become very creamy and quite sweet; I blend a can of drained and rinsed beans with tahini, olive oil, a little sweet chilli sauce and I put a little more salt with them than I would usually, and quite a bit of lemon juice. I guess I could use my madani to make a rougher version!
Good post. I’ve heard of butter beans a lot, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen them.
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They really are worth investigating – maybe in cans? Maybe dried?
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Hubby is gonna get butter beans all over his snare drum.
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He doesn’t like them… can you imagine, not liking butter beans? He likes Mr Heinz beans!
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Yep know what you mean about cooking too many
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Yes.
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Hi! Do you eat them as they are, or do you have a particular recipe? If my family liked them more they would feature more frequently on the menu!
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Hi Lois, it depends on what type ie: Tinned or dried. We use the dried beans then soak them over night in salt water then cook them in a pressure cooker with what ever vegetables you like for about 20 minutes to 30 minutes and or maybe a stock cube. Tinned beans then drain, rinse well, and mix together with garlic, chilli, olive oil, and maybe some rocket or fresh tomato, basil etc. Just be imaginative.
Hope this helps. My name is Steve by the way.
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Hi Steve… that sounds a lovely combination with the peppery rocket! I actually do have some rocket in the fridge… !!
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You can also do the same with chick peas. Good luck. Don’t forget that you will need a few glasses of wine to accompany the meal and some toasted bread rubbed with garlic then sprinkle some salt and some olive oil. Buon appetito.
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Oh definitely some wine… mmm, yes and the bread, garlic and olive oil… my favourite is Greek, but I like any really!
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It’s Mediterranean.
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I’ve always liked butter beans and am so pleased that they are a Greek staple, cooked in a tomato sauce. They call them gigantes (giants)!
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Oooh, yes, I love them – some of them really are gigantes, much bigger than ours, I remember eating them in a tomatoey olive oily sauce with bread… mmm!!
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I use the tinned ones to make a lovely creamy bean puree, a bit like hummus but more delicate flavour. I also add a can to tomato and basil soup to make it more substantial for winter and I have used them to make felafels. Delicious.
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Oooh, falafels, what a good idea!
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