My fava bean initiation...

[journey11]

What an amazingly frustrating little vegetable!

I planted I think 24 seeds and they all came up and are making lots of pods. There were some rather sizable pods on there this evening, a little wider than my finger and shiny, so I picked a good handful.

After Googling how to prepare them, I shelled them out and was disappointed that most of the beans inside were smaller than I expected them to be. I must have picked them too soon. They were about the size of a lima, so I went ahead and blanched them and peeled them. Smaller still! I could not believe how much of the bean, pod and such, is wasted. So I thought, well, I've gotten this far... I sauteed them in a little butter, EVOO and garlic. They shrunk a little more! I ended up with slightly more than a teaspoonful to taste and they were really good! But not worth all of that bother. I will let the others go much longer on the plant.

I apparently didn't plant enough to really appreciate them either. Better luck next year. They did really well in my raised bed. Two plants took a heavy coating of aphids, but my friends the ladybugs swiftly came to the rescue along with one very slender and fragile looking little spider.

 

[digitS']

My initiation, Journey, was about 15 years ago. It was brief and I didn't come away wise in the ways of favas.

As I recall, there are varieties with seeds that don't really need peeling. I was able to try them both ways. I don't remember which I preferred. I remember thinking that they were pretty darn good!

Then the aphids overwhelmed them. It was a distant garden and all I had to do was to overlook the problem or forget to bring the soap spray or a combination. Several days pass and the plants were disintegrating under the hoard of bugs!

Thanks to @TheSeedObsesser , I have several varieties to try this year. Just today, I was thinking how well they have emerged and been growing. It's been much warmer than usual here. I don't know how the favas will respond to the heat of summer temperatures we will soon experience ...

Steve

 

[journey11]

The variety I bought from Baker Creek was Aquadulce. The seed coat seemed much thicker than what I'd seen pictured when I peeled them. Not sure if they would have been tough on their own. I should have tried one first.

I could not believe how thickly those aphids coated the stems of the plant! I'd never seen them go after anything like that before.

I started these favas in mid-March, same time that I started my sugarsnap peas. I think that was pretty good timing. Normally things will really start heating up here in June, but the first two days of the month did not get out of the 60's. I can't handle this weird weather.

 

[Hal]

What an amazingly frustrating little vegetable!

I planted I think 24 seeds and they all came up and are making lots of pods. There were some rather sizable pods on there this evening, a little wider than my finger and shiny, so I picked a good handful.

After Googling how to prepare them, I shelled them out and was disappointed that most of the beans inside were smaller than I expected them to be. I must have picked them too soon. They were about the size of a lima, so I went ahead and blanched them and peeled them. Smaller still! I could not believe how much of the bean, pod and such, is wasted. So I thought, well, I've gotten this far... I sauteed them in a little butter, EVOO and garlic. They shrunk a little more! I ended up with slightly more than a teaspoonful to taste and they were really good! But not worth all of that bother. I will let the others go much longer on the plant.

I apparently didn't plant enough to really appreciate them either. Better luck next year. They did really well in my raised bed. Two plants took a heavy coating of aphids, but my friends the ladybugs swiftly came to the rescue along with one very slender and fragile looking little spider.

Something does not sound right and all I can think is you might have harvested them too soon as I never recall them shrinking much. All I ever do is shell them, blanch them and eat them how I would if peas ever made it inside, I don't peel the seeds just the pods.

 

[journey11]

Oh, I'm not about to give up on them. I'm sure I picked them too soon, although the pods looked pretty big, the beans hadn't really filled out yet. I had heard not to let them get too old on the vine, but I think I was just antsy to try them!

Is there any trick to telling when they're ready?

 

[Hal]

Oh, I'm not about to give up on them. I'm sure I picked them too soon, although the pods looked pretty big, the beans hadn't really filled out yet. I had heard not to let them get too old on the vine, but I think I was just antsy to try them!

Is there any trick to telling when they're ready?

It does come down to personal taste and the cultivar in question. I prefer them young and tender but some folks prefer them a bit further along. How big were the pods?

 

[journey11]

It does come down to personal taste and the cultivar in question. I prefer them young and tender but some folks prefer them a bit further along. How big were the pods?

They were about 2cm in width and 12cm in length. The pods had become shiny in appearance, whereas the smaller ones had a fuzzy look about them. It's probably that I just got excited to try them and jumped the gun.

 

[Hal]

They were about 2cm in width and 12cm in length. The pods had become shiny in appearance, whereas the smaller ones had a fuzzy look about them. It's probably that I just got excited to try them and jumped the gun.

That does sound on the small side for the types I grow. Resist the urge a little longer and report back

 

[hoodat]

Here in San Diego favas are a fall and winter crop to plant when the green beans poop out. BTW some people are allergic to favas so eat just a few at first to be sure you aren't one of them.

 

[journey11]

Here in San Diego favas are a fall and winter crop to plant when the green beans poop out. BTW some people are allergic to favas so eat just a few at first to be sure you aren't one of them.

Oh, thanks for that warning. I've found myself with more allergies as I've gotten older, so I'll pay attention for that.

I've got enough extra seed to do a fall crop too. I did hear that they don't like the heat.