How to Cook Dried Butter Beans or Lima Beans

Butter Beans

These are easy, but time consuming. They need to be soaked overnight or started a few hours early, so allow plenty of time. I like these with cornbread for lunch.

1 pound dry lima beans

2 quarts tap water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup of butter or margarine
1. Soak the beans overnight in the tap water, or bring them to a boil, Turn the heat off, cover and let them soak for 2 hours in the cooling water.
2. After soaking, drain. Cover with fresh water and simmer. When the beans are almost tender add the salt, pepper and butter. Continue cooking until they are tender, but not mushy. Overall they will take 1 – 1½ hours to cook depending on how old the beans are. Keep an eye on the water level, you want them just barely covered, but don’t let them dry out.