Speckled Butter Beans, from Frozen

 

Speckled Butter Beans, from frozen

28 ounces frozen speckled butter beans
1-32 oz container of unsalted vegetable stock
1 large yellow onion chopped fine
2 stalks celery chopped fine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of vinegar
dash of fish sauce
several dashes of hot sauce of your choice
2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1 full cup precooked diced smoked ham for flavoring

Even since I cooked speckled butter beans fresh which I found at the Blairsville Farmers Market one year, I have craved them. One day I found speckled butter beans in the frozen section at Ingles. I've never seen them there before and they may not be there now. But I was glad to get some. Butter beans are actually lima beans. My mom used to serve them to us canned, they were terrible, dry and gritty. Cooked properly butter beans are like their name implies, just like butter, soft and flavorful.

 

Sauté onion then add celery and cook till soft. Add butter beans and vegetable stock. I am using my own dried thyme and parsley from last year. I'm pretty sure home grown herbs make a difference. Bring beans to a boil, turn down heat and add all the remaining ingredients except butter and ham. Truth be told you don't even need the ham for flavoring.

Cook for 45 minutes till butter beans are soft. Halfway through cooking add butter and ham and serve with sides of cornbread and coleslaw if you wish. Gary raved about these but just like me in the same sentence he said he hates lima beans. If you see speckled butter beans fresh or frozen, get them and cook them up, they are delicious, good for you, and you won't be disappointed.