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 the
inner bean is eaten. Because some people are allergic to them, we are often
advised not to eat raw limas.
There are two types of limas: The ones that have small beans are called
baby limas and the ones that have very large beans are called Fordhooks.
In both varieties, the greener the inner bean, the better the flavor and
the texture. White lima beans are dry and starchy. When selecting any variety
of limes, choose those that have full, green, velvety pods.
At today's supermarkets fresh limas are a rarity, even though they were
once fairly common. They were bumped off the produce counters by the frozen
limas, since they freeze better than most green vegetables. Frozen limas
are almost equal in flavor and texture to fresh limes. However, they are
far easier to prepare and are often, oddly enough, less costly.