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Lima Beans

Also indexed as: Butter Beans

Sometimes referred to as the aristocrat of beans, lima beans have a mellow, creamy flavor.

Lima beans, native to South America, are ancient legumes that are sometimes referred to as the aristocrat of beans. The climbing plants on which limas grow were already in cultivation when Columbus arrived in the Americas, and archaeologists have discovered 7,000-year-old limas in Peru. Generally whitish in color, flat, and variably sized, they turn pale green when cooked and have a mellow, creamy flavor.

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.

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.

Availability

Dried, canned, or frozen limas are available year-round. Fresh beans, sold in the pod, are available seasonally in some markets.

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.

Nutritional 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.

Health benefits and concerns

Hypothyroidism

Some foods, including lima beans, contain natural substances that can promote goiter. These “goitrogens” appear to interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis. Cooking has been reported to inactivate this effect in Brussels sprouts, but it is not known if cooking lima beans would similarly decrease their goitrogenic activity.