Butter Beans

Okay, Southerners, I need help. I'm growing Lima beans, because we love them young and small, but we also love big ol' fat butter beans, too. Are they all the same? Do I just let some get bigger or should I have planted a different variety to get the big ones?

countrynaturals wrote:Okay, Southerners, I need help. I'm growing Lima beans, because we love them young and small, but we also love big ol' fat butter beans, too. Are they all the same? Do I just let some get bigger or should I have planted a different variety to get the big ones?

I love both as well and have always wondered that!!!!

I love the "green" lima beans and the big ole white butter beans. I would love to know the difference and maybe a couple of suggestions from folks who use Baker Creek Seeds. Thank you in advance.

sanderson wrote:I love the "green" lima beans and the big ole white butter beans.  I would love to know the difference and maybe a couple of suggestions from folks who use Baker Creek Seeds.  Thank you in advance.

I searched Baker Creek and all they have is small speckled limas. Time to hit Google again.
This one looks like the answer.

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/beans/bean-lima-big-mama-prod000574.html

countrynaturals wrote:

sanderson wrote:I love the "green" lima beans and the big ole white butter beans.  I would love to know the difference and maybe a couple of suggestions from folks who use Baker Creek Seeds.  Thank you in advance.

I searched Baker Creek and all they have is small speckled limas. Time to hit Google again.
This one looks like the answer.

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/beans/bean-lima-big-mama-prod000574.html

Burpee says we can plant these in Sep here. Wanna go halves with me?

Sanderson, it looks like they are the same bean eaten at different times. I googled Butter Bean vs Lima Bean and here's just one hit:

Lima beans are more than just related to butter beans, they are the same thing! In the South, lima beans are often called butter beans and in the UK they almost exclusively refer to them as butter beans. It seems like a lot of people don't like lima beans. I blame those unpleasant school lunch vegetable medleys, although I admit that lima beans can have a sort of starchy flavor that tastes sort of uncooked. Lima beans can be consumed in both their immature stage (fresh and green) as well as their mature (dried and beige). Americans tend to eat them in the immature stage mostly, but if you aren't a lima lover, you might want to try them cooked from the dry stage, rather than the fresh. You can cook them yourself, which like all dried beans can take a long time of soaking and simmering, or you can get them canned. I find that the texture is creamier and the flavor is rich and buttery. You might surprise yourself and become a convert.

http://www.thekitchn.com/good-question-2-15403

CN, Thank you for the offer, but I think I will first try regular lima beans and let them dry on the vine. What about this variety from Baker Creek for you to try? http://www.rareseeds.com/hendersons-bush-lima-bean/

Renee's Seeds: Half-price off selected items! https://www.reneesgarden.com/collections/vegetables/

I am going to send you my Abu and Basrawya tomato packets as soon as I receive my eBay order of 4"x6"bubble envelops. They should still be viable. Test a couple of seeds of each now to make sure.

sanderson wrote:CN,  Thank you for the offer, but I think I will first try regular lima beans and let them dry on the vine.    What about this variety from Baker Creek for you to try?  http://www.rareseeds.com/hendersons-bush-lima-bean/

Renee's Seeds:  Half-price off selected items!  https://www.reneesgarden.com/collections/vegetables/

I am going to send you my Abu and Basrawya tomato packets as soon as I receive my eBay order of 4"x6"bubble envelops.  They should still be viable.  Test a couple of seeds of each now to make sure.

Sounds good. Burpee is having a buy 3 get 1 free sale, so I went ahead and ordered the big ones. I already have regular limas growing, so I'll pass on the others. If you want some of these, I'd be happy to send you some. The planting guide says we can start them in Sep in Zone 9.

Interesting.  Just watched an episode of Chef and the Farmer (PBS; I have farmer vision) about butter beans.  I forgot these are the same beans.  I like butter beans waaaaay better than limas.  

Pretty precarious about harvest dates for me here in the upper Midwest though....