Butter Beans Vs. Lima Beans
According to the Georgia Cooperative Extension "The terms Lima bean and butter bean are interchangeable"; however, the Lima bean species "Phaseolus lunatus", has three main varieties: large, small, and dwarf (butter bean), each with slight differences in taste and features.
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Color
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Color varies among the large, green or speckled Lima, from pale green or creamy white of the smaller Lima bean variety, to the white, speckled dwarf beans, or butter beans.
Flavor
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The large Lima beans have a creamy texture and strong, earthy flavor, while the butter beans have a creamier and more delicate taste, being the least starchy of the Lima beans.
Preparation
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Cooked baby lima beans add a rich, buttery taste in pasta salads.
Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Keith McDuffee
Butter beans, with their rich, buttery taste, take one hour to prepare. They are good for soups, stews, pasta salads and casseroles. Large Lima beans, with their smooth, creamy, and rich flavor, average 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours to make. Lima beans are an excellent substitute for potatoes or rice.
Calories
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Butter beans contain a small amount of fat; butter beans also contain more iron and are higher in calories than the larger Lima bean.
Warning
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According to FruitandVeggiesMatter.org, raw Lima beans contain a class of proteins called linamarin, or cyanogen; opening the seed coat releases a cyanide compound; however, proper cooking will deactivate this cyanide compound.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of jules Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Keith McDuffee
