The lima bean has a rather flat, wide, green pod that contains flat,green, kidney-shaped beans. As a rule the pod is discarded and only theinner bean is eaten. Because some people are allergic to them, we are oftenadvised not to eat raw limas.
There are two types of limas: The ones that have small beans are calledbaby limas and the ones that have very large beans are called Fordhooks.In both varieties, the greener the inner bean, the better the flavor andthe texture. White lima beans are dry and starchy. When selecting any varietyof limes, choose those that have full, green, velvety pods.
At today's supermarkets fresh limas are a rarity, even though they wereonce fairly common. They were bumped off the produce counters by the frozenlimas, since they freeze better than most green vegetables. Frozen limasare almost equal in flavor and texture to fresh limes. However, they arefar easier to prepare and are often, oddly enough, less costly.