The thick sauce that butter beans make after they are cooked is scrumptious. My mom made the best ever! Here is my take on hers:  

• 4-5 cups dry butter or large lima beans, rinsed and sorted 
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 1 teaspoon salt   
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste   
• 2-3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

Place beans in large pot and soak for 30 minutes. Drain and add fresh water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 15 minutes and lower heat to simmer.  Add onion and salt then cook for 30 more minutes until beans are beginning to become tender, soft and creamy in the middle. Taste for salt, add pepper to taste and chopped parsley. Cover and turn off heat. Reheat before serving.

Hints:

If the loose skins on the beans bother you, drain beans but reserve the broth. Then run your fingers through the beans to loosen and remove the skins. This is a tedious step but it does make the beans silky and easier to digest. Just pour broth back over beans and heat on simmer until they are hot.

Butter beans tend to get mushy after they have been frozen so I don’t recommend freezing.