Also indexed as: Butter Beans
Preparation, uses, and tips
Soak dried limas for six hours and cook on the stove uncovered for about one hour, or until
tender. 1 cup of dried limas makes approximately 2 1/2 cups of cooked beans. Succotash, corn
mixed with lima beans, is a traditional dish in the southern United States. Try puréeing
lima beans as a substitute for milk in creamy
soups.
Buying and storing tips
Avoid wrinkled or lackluster beans. Store dried lima beans in an airtight jar. Fresh, limas
shelled from the pod are best cooked right away but will keep for a week or so in the
refrigerator.
Varieties
Limas are members of the kidney bean family and are predominantly available as two main
types: large, “potato” limas and small, baby lima beans, which are half the size
of the large variety. Another, less common, variety is the large, speckled Christmas lima. The
colors of lima bean varieties range from off-white and pale green to red, purple, brown, and
almost black.
Nutrition Highlights
Lima beans (large, boiled), 1 cup (188g)
Calories: 216
Protein: 14.6g
Carbohydrate: 39.2g
Total Fat: 0.71g
Fiber: 13.2g
*Excellent source of: Iron (4.5mg), Potassium (955mg), and Folate (156 mcg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.