Soak the dried limas overnight in water to cover. In the morning, pour off the liquid. Cover the beans with boiling water and boil 1/2 hour. Drain, reserving the water. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with bacon drippings. Combine the sugar, mustard, salt and paprika. Make a layer of beans in the pan, then sprinkle with some of the seasonings. Make additional layers of beans and seasonings until they're all used up. Cover the beans with bacon slices. Pour the water in which the beans were boiled gently over the contents of the pan just to come even with the bacon slices. Bake the beans until they're very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. This recipe yields 6 servings. Each serving: 178 calories; 557 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 4.29 grams fiber. Comments: Dried limas are usually cooked with ham hocks, but this recipe combines them with bacon. The recipe was contributed by Mrs. Edward T. Smith to a 1923 cookbook put out by the Sarah Daft Home for the Aged in Salt Lake City. The home is still in operation. |