Broad Bean (Fava Bean): Grow and Eat

This tall sturdy flowering annual in the bean family produces a multitude of long pods with 8 large beans (the thick walled pods are unpalatable raw) and edible leaves perfect for salads. The plant has sturdy stems and will grow to almost 6 foot but it is not a climber.

Taste/Aroma:

I love the buttery texture of this bean. You can do lots with it but I like to simply sauté them in some butter. I am the only person in the family that likes them though :).

I am yet to make soup with them but this is also a popular use of this bean.

Heike Motzek pointed me at this recipe as a use for the thick walled pods. Now I don’t have to put them all in my worm farms 🙂

Blanching and Storing:

One minute in boiling water and three minutes in freezing water and then into the freezer.

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Flower:

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Fruit:

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Plant:

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Leaves:

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Grow It Perth:

I start planting in April, stopping in August/September. The plants will keep cropping into October.

Growing Fava beans is relatively easy but you need to give the mature plants some support  as they can grow to 6 foot. I use coils of chicken wire but stakes and twine do just as well.

Use a vegetable tailored NPK fertiliser and you should get multiple crops from each plant.

Enjoy,

PK


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