Alubia Blanca from North America
A small white bean with vast...
From £7.45 GBP
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More tender and delicate than their beefier cousins, these thin-skinned little Limas are a rare find indeed. Better known as butter beans, all Limas are, naturally enough, thought to have originated in Peru. The Heirloom Bean Co sources these and a range of other Phaseolus beans from North American bean specialist Rancho Gordo, founded in the early 2000s by Steve Sando to preserve and promote traditional and rare bean varieties of the Americas. |
A pretty twist on the butter-bean theme, Green Baby Limas blanch in the pot. When cooked, their delicate skin yields easily, revealing an interior that is wonderfully creamy and tender, almost buttery on the palate. They work well on their own, perhaps with a simple lemon-dill butter, and their wonderfully fresh appearance and soothing mouthfeel make for great side dishes. They are a natural fit with a salad, and also combine brilliantly with bacon or ham.
Images & cooking instructions © Rancho Gordo Inc.
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Kitchen Suggestions
Light vegetable soups, pot beans, salads, creamy bean purées with herbs and garlic. Another Lima that works well with sweetcorn and summer vegetables in a US-style succotash. The great thing with these little beauties is that their mild flavour never overwhelms, making them a graceful complement to a huge spectrum of ingredients.
Cooking these beans - the Rancho Gordo method
Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot etc.) in olive oil. Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches/5cm. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Salt when beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.
Recipe ideas
Rancho Gordo’s Smoked Trout Spring Salad with Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
Green Baby Lima Beans
Similar to: Large White Lima
Latin name: Phaseolus lunatus
Country of origin: USA
Sold in resealable 1lb (453g) bags
