The Lima Bean Challenge

[Paleophyte]

OK foodies, this one's unrelated to Tide pods.  

As a child lima beans were the bane of my existence. My father used to buy them canned, boiled what little remained of them to death, and served them without seasoning. I'm not the sort to write something off just because my parents didn't know how to cook, so here's the challenge: Is there a way to prepare these little green horrors to make them edible?

I suspect that this is actually two separate problems.

(1) I live in Eastern Canada and it's difficult to obtain good quality starting material. Few things are improved by being boiled and left to steep in their own juices in a tin can for months on end. How can I get better beans? Aside from growing my own, which may end up being what I'll have to do.

(2) Assuming I can get decent lima beans to work with how do you cook them to make them not horrific? I'm hoping one of you has a better recipe than "Boil until grey."

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[Paleophyte]

Dried would probably be an improvement over my father's cooking but that's damnation by faint praise taken to extremes.

Show ContentSpoiler:

Oh, you're supposed to rehydrate those. Yes, that would be an improvement.

[Dom]

Dried would probably be an improvement over my father's cooking but that's damnation by faint praise taken to extremes.

Show ContentSpoiler:

Oh, you're supposed to rehydrate those. Yes, that would be an improvement.

It's fine to rehydrate the dried ones. Frozen ones are also good, I usually use those. Cook until soft, put some butter or cheese on them. Yum.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Dried would probably be an improvement over my father's cooking but that's damnation by faint praise taken to extremes.

Show ContentSpoiler:

Oh, you're supposed to rehydrate those. Yes, that would be an improvement.

You can make your bean soup with your favorites. I used to pick the lima beans out of that kit because the third wife didn't like them.

When I make that dish I add diced ham, diced onions, and fresh mushrooms. Crock pot for four hours on high or eight hours on low. Three cups dried beans to ten cups water. You'll find your own proportions.

[Fireball]

edamame

[julep]

No, there is no way to make Lima beans taste good.   My mother used to prepare them as you describe...nothing like a meal of boiled chicken livers, boiled Lima beans, and canned beets to keep your kids skinny, and sometimes I wonder if that was her motivation...

[Paleophyte]

No, there is no way to make Lima beans taste good.   My mother used to prepare them as you describe...nothing like a meal of boiled chicken livers, boiled Lima beans, and canned beets to keep your kids skinny, and sometimes I wonder if that was her motivation...

Try beef livers instead of chicken. I know some of the things that both cows and chicken are fed and what bioaccumulates in the liver so both are revolting on several levels.

Canned beets sound like an abomination but beets themselves can be quite good. Little entertains a kid quite so much as food that makes your bathroom activities so colourful.

[Phaedrus]

I liked lima beans. It was spinach and brussel sprouts I couldn't stand.

[Paleophyte]

I used to pick the lima beans out of that kit because the third wife didn't like them.

You lost two wives to lima beans before you caught on?!?

When I make that dish I add diced ham, diced onions, and fresh mushrooms. Crock pot for four hours on high or eight hours on low. Three cups dried beans to ten cups water. You'll find your own proportions.

Sounds like my split pea and ham recipe. I use lentils rather than your typical bean but it's otherwise pretty similar.

edamame

That's soy beans, a slightly different genus.

[Paleophyte]

I liked lima beans. It was spinach and brussel sprouts I couldn't stand.

Brussel sprouts are also abominable boiled but there are some quite tasty ways to prepare them. Spinach should never be cooked. It's fine as a mixed green but a bit overwhelming by itself. Anybody caught putting either on pizza will be shot.

[Dom]

Brussels Sprouts taste very sweet and lose that distinctive side flavor when roasted in a hot oven. Yum!

[Mark]

Is there a way to prepare these little green horrors to make them edible?

From my experience dining I have to think no.

Canned beets sound like an abomination but beets themselves can be quite good. Little entertains a kid quite so much as food that makes your bathroom activities so colourful.

I love the flavor of baked beets on a salad or as a side.  Also good in soup.  Have never had canned beets but some precooked fresh ones I've gotten at Trader Joe's are several notches worse so imagine the canned ones are unimaginable worse.

I liked lima beans. It was spinach and brussel sprouts I couldn't stand.

Bite your tongue.  I've had larger brussel sprouts cut in half cooked quickly in a skillet and do like them that way. But my favorite is to steam the smaller ones whole and then stir in butter and creamed horseradish.  

Both beets and brussel sprouts provide earthy tones which add depth to any meal.  Rhubarb is another one, though I've only had it in desserts.

[SYZ]

The dried variety are readily available in Australia.

They're usually soaked in cold water overnight, and then lightly boiled next day. When
cooked al dente, they're cooled and drizzled with olive oil and vinegar, and finely
chopped fresh parsley. Lima beans are normally a summer dish here, served as part of
a salad table.