There was a Thanksgiving in my house when I was a girl, which did not include lima beans. For that matter, lima beans were an outline to practically every meal on Sunday-with-kinfolks. Just call them, usually butter beans.


Lima beans are popular in the southern part of the United States, perhaps less so in other regions, but good everywhere and at any time, in my opinion biased. The trick is to cook them right.


Strangely, the right way to lima beans cooking does not cook the way that I can remember has done most of my relatives and also how we frequented restaurants that did. They all seemed to think that you had to cook them into mush, as well as li oversalt. If you like you’re used to eating lima beans, and you like them in this way, so don’t let me stop you. But be aware that the recipes that I give below are calibrated to produce lime which are about halfway between the “hard” and “mush” of cooked beans.


A fact that recently learned is that lima beans are more southern than even I had suspected: they were cultivated and eaten in South America, thousands of years ago.


Fresh lima beans are the best, even if they require more work to prepare, including their bombardment. It is more likely to find limas fresh at a farmer’s market, especially in the South.


Alternatively, feel free to use those dried or frozen which carries your supermarket. Probably you are small and large (“child”); My preference is for small, as they seem to be more resistant to turning Pasty as Cook, but either will work fine.


If you start with dried beans in lima, you should soak for at least five hours and preferably overnight before cooking. Keep in mind that it will swell from dried limas soaking and cooking, at least double in volume. Thus, a cupful of dry limas cook up to 2 cups or so.


Lima Beans, Southern Style


If you go to a restaurant in the down-home style or cafeteria in the South, and lima beans order, chances are 10 to 1, this is how you come to the table. We are talking about authenticity here! Just check our statement by using a Longhorn Steakhouse Coupon or any other southern style restaurant to taste test their lima beans.


Ingredients


1 lb lima beans, large or small (limas are commonly dried in packages of 1 lb.)


1 chopped onion


shank 1 or 2


1 large garlic clove


1 teaspoon salt


1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper


1 tablespoon cooking oil


Directions


1. Soak beans overnight lima (if using dried beans)


2. wash the beans in a colander under cold running water.


3. Dump beans in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.


4. Remove beans from the heat, cover and let stand until cooled well enough-at least 30-45 minutes. Then, drain the beans and set them aside.


5. in the pot, sauté ham hocks, onions and garlic in cooking oil until onion becomes clear. Put in beans and cover with water. Add salt and black pepper.


6. bring the pot to boil. Cover the pot, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the water needed to keep beans covered.


7. After a half hour of boiling, start the control over bean to see how well cooked they are. You might want to stop firing at the beginning, depending on tender as they are-and if you don’t like your lima beans mushy!


Thank you


This is the other main way to enjoy at least lima bean, where I grew up. Thanks just means basically lima beans and corn. Onions and tomatoes give further interest.


Ingredients


3 cups lima beans


3/4 cup onions, diced


2 tablespoons butter or margarine


3 cups of wheat kernel, already cooked (according to package instructions)


2 cups peeled and diced tomato


1 teaspoon salt


1 tsp black pepper


Directions


1. Put in large skillet beans lima or pot. Cover with water and boil 4-6 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain.


2. melt the butter or margarine in a small skillet over medium heat, then pour into the pot in which you will be cooking beans.


3. Add beans, onions, corn and tomato dish. Saute for 4 to 7 minutes, stirring often.


4. remove from heat, stir in salt and pepper and serve.


Sarah Sandori is fun and food columnist for the Solid Gold Info consortium of writers. Have you ever wanted to be able to duplicate exactly a favourite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out article by Sarah where she reveals her source for the most mouth-watering recipes secret restaurant in America http://www.solid-gold.info/most-wanted-recipes.html: