Butter Beans

Name: Butter beans (Phaseolus lunatus) — large, flat, creamy-white (or sometimes speckled) beans with a soft, buttery texture and a mild, slightly sweet flavour. In Britain, butter beans are the large lima beans, while in the Southern United States the name often refers to small, fresh lima beans.

Description

Butter beans are the same species as lima beans, and a separate page covers lima beans. They were domesticated in the Andes of Peru more than 5,000 years ago, and spread through the Americas, then to Europe and Africa. In Britain they are a pantry staple in canned and dried form, in stews, soups and on toast.

Their large size and floury, creamy flesh when cooked make them excellent at soaking up sauces and flavours, and for mashing into dips. They contain small amounts of natural cyanogenic compounds, so they must be cooked in plenty of water.

Main nutrition value

Butter beans are a good source of plant protein, fibre, folate, iron, potassium and manganese, and are low in fat.

How best to be consumed

Butter beans are soft and creamy, and need thorough cooking.

1. Soak dried beans in plenty of water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain and rinse, which shortens cooking time and reduces gas.
2. Boil for 60 to 90 minutes in plenty of fresh water, with the lid off, until very soft.
3. Mash with olive oil, lemon and garlic for a dip, or add to stews, soups, casseroles and curries.
4. Roast cooked beans with herbs and olive oil.
5. Rinse canned beans, to reduce salt.

Overconsumption could cause…

Butter beans are healthy in food amounts when properly cooked.

1. Cyanide-releasing compounds in raw or undercooked lima beans, which cooking in plenty of water destroys, and which are higher in some wild or coloured varieties.
2. Digestive upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) from raw or undercooked beans, which contain natural lectins that cooking destroys, so always boil dried beans thoroughly.
3. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in beans, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
4. High sodium in canned beans, so choose no-added-salt cans and rinse them well.

GroupsBeansLegume familyHigh fibreHigh proteinLow fatLow sodiumRich in folateRich in ironRich in magnesiumRich in potassium

Related foodsLima BeansGreat Northern BeansKidney BeansNavy BeansRed BeansRed Kidney Beans

Wikipedia — Lima bean, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_bean