Butter Beans 300 gr for paella

300 g jar net of authentic Valencian "garrofón" or Butter Beans or special Lima Beans equivalent to 10 servings original paella (30 g per person)

This large white flat bean should be cooked slowly before being eaten, to ensure that it has the mild texture that will melt in your mouth. It is one of the main ingredients in authentic Valencian paellas. It is also used in all types of stews, where this large juicy bean will never go unnoticed. Their mild creaminess soaks up the flavors of the other ingredients. This native variety is a gourmet delicacy primarily available during all season 

The first butter beans arrived in Valencia from America and were successfully incorporated by farmers to their crops and to their diet. Today we have varieties that produce butter beans with a thin skin and creamy texture, very soft on the palate. Butter beans are used in rice dishes and all kind of vegetable, meat and fish stews to which they contribute their delicate flavor and nutritional values.

A paella without garrofón is not an original paella.

Butter beans are sold both dry (requiring hydration) and fresh. But just dried butter beans allow to carry out a correct transport and storage without losing its qualities during months. Unlike the fresh butter bean which lose its qualities quickly because this is a perishable product and it requires refrigeration for transportation, preservation and storage. In addition, fresh butter bean has a shelf life of around few days and large wastage by its pods.

How to prepare the garrofón for the Valencian paella?

For a Valencian paella, calculate between 30 and 35 gr of dry locust bean per diner, hydration simply consists of leaving the locust bean soaking for between 10 and 12 hours with water, once the locust bean is hydrated it needs to be cooked to have the creamy texture that is required, the cooking times vary depending on whether they are hard or soft waters, in soft waters it requires between 20 and 30 minutes in a pressure cooker and between 40 minutes and 1 hour in paella or casserole and can double in very hard waters .

Why buy the Valencian garrofón for paella?

This 300 gr format of Valencian carob beans brings you one of the most classic ingredients of the original paella wherever you are. There are many Garrofones, but none will match the flavour, creamy and fine texture or ability to absorb the flavors of paella than the Valencian Garrofon.