Gadding About in my Butterbean Patch

A "mess" of butter beans ready to cook.  Enough for two people. 

My younger son is very fond of lima beans, so I thought I would plant butter beans (that's what we call lima beans in the south) in the raised bed in my garden.  I knew I could have enough to get a mess or two. (A mess in the south is at least one serving.  A mess depends on how many people you plan to feed actually.)

Why are these beans called butter beans?  Apparently, because they become rather creamy and buttery when cooked.  The term butter beans is used in England as well as here in the South. But not in the North. 

It was fun watching the beans sprout and come pushing through the soil.  Unfortunately,  although all the beans sprouted some hungry rabbit or perhaps deer feasted off half of them.  Thankfully the varmint did not return to finish off the crop. 

My butter bean patch where about half of the plants provided food for some hungry animal. 

Bean are mature enough to pick. 

Today I decided enough of the beans were mature enough to pick.  Patrick has been following these beans since I planted them and I showed him how to pick and shell them.  I can remember when I was growing up my folks had a large row or two of butter beans every summer and we had a lot to pick and shell.  Some of them would have been canned and others might have been mixed in with corn and tomatoes and canned to make succotash.

The pods usually contain three or four beans. 

The beans vary in size depending upon their maturity.  The smallest one could have grown a bit more, and the one on the far right is almost too big.  It could have been left to pick as a dried bean.  Notice the most mature ones turn somewhat beige. 

Enough beans to make a 'mess" (serving) for two people. 

It had been so long since I have cooked butter beans that I had to google to see how long to cook them.  I covered them with water and let them simmer for about an hour until they seemed done.
So for dinner tonight one of our side dishes will be butter beans. 

Ready to simmer covered in water for about an hour. 

A pat of butter on the butter beans is a must in this household.  Ready to eat as a nice side dish. 

Now I have to check to see what I can plan in the raised bed for the fall.  Maybe I'll try mixed greens--turnip, mustard, and kale.